The Ohio Secretary of State's office has taken action by referring 138 non-U.S. citizens found on registered voter rolls to the state's attorney general. This move is part of a comprehensive audit conducted by Secretary Frank LaRose to ensure the integrity of the state's voter rolls. Earlier this year, hundreds of other non-citizens were also removed from Ohio's voter registration list.
Secretary LaRose emphasized the importance of upholding the law, stating, 'I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country do not vote in our elections.' The audit has identified a total of 597 individuals who registered to vote in Ohio without being U.S. citizens, with 138 of them suspected of casting a ballot in an Ohio election while lacking citizenship status.
The cases of non-citizens attempting to vote span multiple years, with 148 cases in 2022, 117 in 2021, and 354 in 2019. In addition to addressing non-citizen voter registrations, the audit has also led to the removal of approximately 155,000 voter registrations that were deemed abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.
The audit process involves thorough analysis and cross-referencing of data from various sources, including the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Homeland Security's federal SAVE database, the Social Security Administration, federal jury pool data, and other resources.
Secretary LaRose reiterated his commitment to upholding the state's constitution, which mandates that only U.S. citizens can participate in Ohio elections. He stated, 'If or when non-citizens become citizens, I'll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise. However, until then, the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting.'
Ohio, a crucial swing state, is expected to play a significant role in the outcome of the 2024 election. Former President Trump has expressed concerns about potential voter fraud, highlighting the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.
