Overview
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has initiated a purge of non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls after discovering 137 individuals who were not U.S. citizens had registered to vote. The move is part of a broader effort to ensure election integrity.
Why It Matters Ensuring only eligible voters participate in elections is crucial for maintaining trust in the democratic process and preventing potential illegal voting.
Who It Impacts This impacts Ohio voters, state election officials, and potentially non-citizens who may have mistakenly registered to vote.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has ordered the removal of 137 non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls following an investigation by the Ohio Public Integrity Division.
As reported by Fox News, the division cross-referenced data from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and found these individuals, despite confirming twice they were not U.S. citizens, had registered to vote.
LaRose’s office has also sought assistance from federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, to obtain citizenship data. Additionally, federal court records showing individuals disqualified from jury duty for not being U.S. citizens will be used to aid in the voter roll cleanup.
“These individuals will receive at least two written notices from the Secretary of State’s office asking them to confirm their citizenship status or cancel their registration,” LaRose told Fox News. Failure to respond to these notices will result in their removal from the voter rolls by county election boards.
LaRose acknowledged that some registrations might be honest mistakes due to communication barriers. “These may be well-meaning people trying to pursue the American dream, and communication barriers sometimes result in a registration form being submitted in error,” he said, stressing the importance of rectifying these issues before they lead to illegal votes.
The southern border crisis has heightened concerns among Republicans about the possibility of illegal immigrants voting in elections. Some municipalities, like Washington, D.C., allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, a practice upheld by a federal judge despite challenges.
In response to these concerns, House Republicans introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which mandates documentation proving U.S. citizenship for voter registration. Currently, under the 1993 Voter Registration Act, individuals only need to swear they are citizens without providing proof.
House Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out the difficulty in proving how many illegal immigrants vote in federal elections but noted that Americans “intuitively” believe it happens. “We don’t have that number,” he admitted, but emphasized the need for better verification measures.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) criticized the current system, suggesting it relies on the honor system for people already breaking the law by being in the country illegally. He advocated for American elections to be exclusively for American citizens.
As Ohio moves forward with the voter roll purge, the broader debate over election integrity and voter verification continues to be a contentious issue nationwide.
