Ohio's Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, has made a move to uphold the integrity of the state's voter rolls by ordering the removal of registrations for voters who have thrown their lot in with another state. In a directive that emphasizes adherence to Ohio law, LaRose insisted on the necessity of this action, which targets nearly 12,000 former Ohio residents who showed their electoral colors by registering and voting elsewhere in the last general election. "We have a duty under Ohio law to maintain accurate voter rolls," LaRose explained in a statement obtained by the Ohio Secretary of State's press release.
These identified individuals will get a cancellation notice before they are formally struck off the Buckeye State's voter rolls. But it's not a closed book—those who cry foul at the flagging can take their case to their county's board of elections. It's a part of a wider list-scrubbing exercise that's all about honorable intentions and precise record-keeping, with Ohio's Supreme Court-approved practices sitting as the watchful guardian of voter list hygiene.
In the words of Secretary LaRose, "This is a commonsense safeguard that’s basically designed to prevent double voting." Delving into the nuts and bolts, the process comes off an elaborate cross-state data analytics collusion that pointed the finger at once-Ohioans who recently cast their vote in another state's election. The Secretary asserts that the law is clear on this—if your electoral affections have shifted out of state and you've acted on it, you're out of the Ohio voter love circle.
Ohio prides itself on a voter management system that's seen by many as the cream of the crop, with the Secretary's new mandate adding another layer to what they tout as a model practiced statewide. "Election integrity begins with making sure we have accurate voter rolls," Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose added, severing ties with outdated registrations, the deceased, noncitizens, and those who have let their electoral participation lapse in favor of truth on paper, as presented in a reliable, uncluttered roll call.
