The Ohio Senate has passed legislation that aims to increase transparency and modernize and clarify data in Ohio’s elections.
Senate Bill (SB) 71 known as the Data Analysis Transparency Archive (DATA) Act, sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) in collaboration with Secretary of State Frank LaRose passed in the Ohio Senate along party lines 24-7.
SB 71 aims to codify standard definitions of key election data, create within the Secretary of State’s Office an office of data analytics and archives which will serve as a clearing house for retention and review, publish standardized data and results online, and codifies a process for county Board of Elections to transfer election data to the Secretary of State’s Office.
State Sen. Gavarone said she is thrilled that the DATA Act passed.
“Senate Bill 71, the DATA Act, passed out of the Senate. Thanks to Secretary LaRose for joining me on this critical legislation that will provide greater transparency and improved voter confidence in our elections,” Gavarone said.
Secretary LaRose said that the Senate’s passage of the DATA Act brings Ohio another step closer to boosting confidence in elections throughout the state.
“We are one step closer to bringing first-of-its-kind transparency to boost integrity and confidence in elections with senate passage of the DATA Act,” Secretary LaRose said.
According to Secretary LaRose, many Ohioans and Americans lack the confidence that they should have in the electoral system for a variety of reasons such as false information and lack of transparency, and inability to access the data that they need.
Secretary LaRose states that this lack of confidence is not a new problem and that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 previously addressed the issue stating that “Every officer of elections shall retain and preserve for a period of 22 months from the date of any general special or primary election all records or papers which come into his possession.”
According to LaRose, many states throughout the U.S. have done little to codify the retention of electronic election-related records. There are inconsistent standards for defining voter data throughout Ohio’s 88 counties.
The DATA Act aims to modernize and clarify the way Ohio defines and archives election records. It constitutes the state’s first significant attempt in more than 60 years to rectify the outmoded, fragmented procedures of election data-keeping.
According to Gaverone, the DATA Act is a paramount priority of hers.
“The DATA Act, in addition to the laws I wrote to require a photo ID to vote and, with the help of Secretary LaRose, enact some of the most stringent post-election auditing measures in the country, continues to give Ohioans the transparency and trust in their elections that they’ve demanded,” Gaverone said.
Secretary LaRose said that although the legislation passed the Senate on party lines both Republicans and Democrats should embrace this legislation.
“This example of Ohio leading the way is something that should be embraced by both Republicans and Democrats because it’s all about making sure that the public is empowered with accurate data so they can look at how elections are run and have confidence in knowing that when the elections are over that it was the true voice of the people that was heard in an honest election and one that they can trust,” LaRose said.
SB 71 has now moved to the House for their consideration.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Frank LaRose” by Frank LaRose. Photo “Theresa Gavarone” by Ohio Senator Theresa Gavarone. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by Ɱ. CC BY-SA 4.0.
