Ohio’s top election official, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, has announced additional measures to prevent foreign nationals from voting in the state’s elections. In a recent press release, LaRose shared that he has directed the state’s county boards of elections to confirm and remove non-citizens from the voter registration rolls. This action is in line with Ohio law, which mandates that only eligible citizens can register and vote.
Following a constitutional amendment passed by 76.9% of Ohio voters during the 2022 midterms, which stipulated that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections, LaRose’s office conducted a review of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles identification records. This review uncovered 137 voter registrations linked to non-citizens who had confirmed their status to the BMV. Ohio law requires two instances of non-citizen confirmation before initiating the removal of an individual from the voter rolls.
LaRose’s office will be sending notices to potential noncitizens identified in the review, giving them an opportunity to confirm their citizenship or submit a voter registration cancellation form. Failure to respond within 30 days will result in the matter being referred to the attorney general for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Additionally, LaRose has requested access to citizenship data from federal agencies, such as the SAVE database from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to further identify potential noncitizens on Ohio’s voter rolls. This move comes amid concerns about the influence of foreign nationals on the U.S. electoral system, especially given the current situation at the southern border.
Reports from the Public Interest Legal Foundation have highlighted issues with noncitizens on voter rolls in states like Massachusetts and Arizona. Measures like automatic voter registration have led to bloated and inaccurate voter rolls in some states, which can be exploited by left-wing groups to boost electoral prospects.
While some Democrat-led cities have permitted noncitizen voting in municipal elections, Ohio is taking steps to ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens are participating in its elections. The efforts by LaRose aim to uphold the integrity of the voting process and protect the rights of American citizens.
