As tensions with Iran climb and the Pentagon shifts more assets into the Middle East, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is trading his familiar role as the state’s chief elections officer for active duty with the Ohio Army National Guard.
LaRose, 46, "was activated for duty" with the Ohio Army National Guard, his office said in a Thursday statement. Spokesman Ben Kindel declined to say whether LaRose is currently outside the United States, and the office said the assistant secretary of state will carry out official duties if LaRose is unable to do so, according to Cleveland.com.
The activation comes as the U.S. has moved additional forces into the region and begun contingency planning for wider operations, including scenarios that could involve ground troops, according to national coverage. Recent troop movements and Pentagon planning tied to the larger conflict have been detailed by The Associated Press.
LaRose has long maintained military ties even while serving in elected office. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2021 after earlier active-duty service, according to the U.S. Army Reserve.
His public biography lists time with the 101st Airborne Division and the 19th Special Forces Group, deployments to Kosovo and Iraq, and a Bronze Star for his service. Cleveland.com has reported that LaRose announced a transfer to the Ohio National Guard in January, and both the University of Rio Grande and Cleveland.com have published those biographical details along with the transfer announcement.
What this means for Ohio elections
LaRose is also the Republican candidate for state auditor this year, and his call-up overlaps with both the May 5 primary and the November general election, a scheduling crunch that could test how the state manages elections when a top official is in uniform. AP reported LaRose’s bid for auditor, while county certification records confirm the May 5, 2026 primary date. The certified candidate list from Franklin County reflects the same election schedule that officials will now have to work around.
Legal handoff and military voting
Under Ohio law, an assistant secretary of state is authorized to perform the secretary’s duties when the officeholder is absent or disabled, and LaRose’s office says it will follow that chain of command while he is on active duty. That authority is laid out in the Ohio Revised Code.
The office has also pointed to standing federal and state procedures that help deployed military and overseas voters cast ballots from afar. Courts and election administrators have long treated service-member absentee voting rules as a distinct slice of election law, with guidance and precedent steering how local boards handle ballots from deployed troops. Those accommodations are shaped in part by federal case law compiled by Justia and by state-level election guidance.
LaRose’s office says it will provide further updates as details of his activation and the day-to-day administrative coverage are finalized. County boards of elections, which operate polling places and certify results, will remain the on-the-ground hubs making sure that all voters, including service members stationed overseas, receive their ballots on time and can return them within the legal deadlines.
.jpg){kind=link}