Tag: Frank LaRose

Ohio Republicans Introduce Bill Codifying Election Integrity Office

Bradley Vasoli

Republicans in the Ohio Legislature are working to pass a law codifying the election-integrity office whose creation Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced last year. 

LaRose declared last October he would set up the Public Integrity Division in his office to improve the security, accuracy and accessibility of elections in the Buckeye State. The new department consolidates heretofore separate divisions dealing with campaign-finance administration, voter registration, election investigations and cybersecurity.

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Leftists Sue Ohio Secretary of State Over New Voter ID Law

Bradley Vasoli

Attorneys for the Elias Law Group announced over the weekend they are representing several left-leaning institutions seeking to nix Ohio’s new law requiring voters to show photo identification to participate in an election. 

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans and the Union Veterans Council are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R). The firm working the case is headed by Marc Elias who has handled cases for Democrats in the 2020 presidential contest and numerous other national elections. 

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Ohio Secretary of State Reports 630 Cases of Potential Voter Fraud During His Administration So Far

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) reported on Friday that his office discovered 630 cases of possible criminal voter fraud since he took office four years ago.

Incidents include 510 cases of potential voting by noncitizens, 97 instances of people possibly voting in more than one state and 23 allegations of election fraudsters using dead persons’ registrations. The department referred all of these cases to law enforcement, according to LaRose’s Year in Review 2022 newsletter.

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Ohio Elections Commission To Look Into Evidence Against Blystone Instead of Settling

Bradley Vasoli

The Ohio Elections Commission (OEC) announced last week it will hold a hearing on Thursday, January 5, 2023 to review evidence against former gubernatorial candidate Joe Blystone concerning alleged campaign-finance violations. 

Charges against the Republican former hopeful include failure to report contributions from small-dollar backers and breach of rules regarding corporate donations. The onetime candidate was engaged in negotiations with Commission Executive Director Philip Richter, but some GOP members of the commission, including D. Michael Crites and Christina Hagan, reportedly insisted on continuing the probe to achieve full accountability. 

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Ohio Election Day Roundup: Results for National Elected Offices, State Offices, and Statewide Ballot Issues

Hannah Poling

After a long campaign season for the Ohio midterm election, voting numbers from county boards of elections are pouring in and being added to the unofficial results on the Ohio Secretary of State’s Website.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State, results are unofficial until they have been reviewed and certified once the official canvass has been completed by November 29th.

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Ohio Secretary of State Readies Voters, Officials for Busy Election Day

Hannah Poling

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is making one last push to inform Ohioans of important voter information prior to their final opportunity to cast a ballot.

The Ohio secretary of state’s office indicates that there is only one official source for Ohio election information, which is voteohio.gov. To ensure all voters have the correct information ahead of Election Day, LaRose urges voters to only utilize voteohio.gov as an official resource for vital and accurate election information including finding a polling location, voter ID requirements, sample ballots, absentee ballot tracking, support for voters with disabilities, and election results.

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Ohio Election Eve Roundup: Statewide, District, County, and Municipal Races to Watch

Hannah Poling

Ohio are set to choose their next governor, U.S. senator, and three seats for the state supreme court this election cycle.

The big-ticket race in Ohio is to fill the U.S. Senate seat left open by retiring Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). Republican nominee J.D. Vance was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and he is currently in a tight race with Democratic Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13).

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Ohio Sees 50 Percent Increase in Early, In-Person Voting Compared to 2018

Hannah Poling

With only four days until the midterm election, Ohio is reporting an increase in early in-person voters compared to 2018.

Ohioans have cast almost 50% more early in-person ballots this year than a week before the 2018 election, according to numbers released by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday.

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Cygnal Ohio Poll Shows Vance and DeWine Getting Bigger Leads

Bradley Vasoli

A poll released this weekend by the data company Cygnal shows Ohio Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate widening their leads against their Democratic opponents. 

The survey of 1,776 likely voters shows J.D. Vance, the author, attorney and venture capitalist running to succeed retiring Republican Senator Rob Portman, with a 4.6-percent lead over Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). Among those polled, 9.2 percent said they were undecided. 

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Two New Polls Widen Vance’s Lead in Ohio Senate Race

Bradley Vasoli
JD Vance

Data from two new surveys have contributed to a slightly widening lead for Republican J.D. Vance in his Ohio Senate campaign against U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). 

One of the polls comes from the Democrat-aligned group Data for Progress, which finds that Vance has garnered 49 percent of the 1,016 likely voters with whom the organization spoke. 

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Early Voting Higher in Ohio than in 2018

The Center Square

More Ohioans have requested absentee ballots and voted early in-person as of the close of business Tuesday than at the same point in the state’s 2018 gubernatorial election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced.

“While not a significant increase over the same point in the 2018 election, Ohioans are showing confidence in Ohio’s abundant early voting opportunities,” said LaRose. “Our bipartisan boards of elections have done an incredible job making their early voting centers ready, and lines are short for anyone who wants to make sure their voice is heard.” While combined the number of ballot requests and in-person early voting totals pass the 2018 total 21 days before the election, the jump comes from in-person early voting.

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Progressive Ohio College Town Continues Push to Let Noncitizens Vote

Bradley Vasoli

Democratic officials who run the village of Yellow Springs, a progressive college town near Dayton, are persisting in their effort to legalize noncitizen voting. 

Mayor Pam Conine (D) is pushing for the enactment of a state constitutional amendment that would actualize the policy. Yellow Springs voters approved a referendum in 2019 allowing dozens of noncitizen residents of the village to participate in local and state elections, but the measure never went into effect. 

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Republicans Poised to Run the Table in Ohio as Vance, DeWine, Yost, and LaRose All Lead in New Poll

Admin

by Debra Heine   Republican author and lawyer J.D. Vance leads Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan 46 percent to 44 percent in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio, according to GOP polling firm Cygnal. The survey of likely general election voters in Ohio also gave Republican Governor Mike DeWine a strong…

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Candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive Backs Noncitizen Voting

Bradley Vasoli

Chris Ronayne, the Democratic candidate for Cuyahoga County executive, said in a public forum this week that he would support Ohio’s municipalities allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.

The former Cleveland city administrator and former president of University Circle, Inc., a community-development corporation, explained to attendees at the Global Cleveland panel discussion at Jukebox that he believed cities can use their home-rule powers to adopt that election policy.

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Ohio Secretary of State Supports Voter Fraud Prosecution for Four More People Who Allegedly Voted Twice

Just the News

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has referred four additional people for prosecution after his office found evidence that appears to show they voted in two states.

His office partnered with officials in Iowa, Missouri, Nevada and Oregon to find individuals who allegedly voted in another state, then cast an illegal second ballot in Ohio in the 2020 election, LaRose announced Wednesday.

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Language Finalized on Proposed Ohio Referendum Banning Noncitizen Voting

Bradley Vasoli

This week the Ohio Ballot Board finalized the wording of a referendum on a proposed state constitutional amendment to prohibit noncitizens from participating in local and state elections. 

A majority of Ohio voters will need to approve the measure during the November 8 election for the amendment to become law. The ballot question informs electors that the amendment would “require that only a citizen of the United States, who is at least 18 years of age and who has been a legal resident and registered voter for at least 30 days, can vote at any state or local election held in this state” and that the law would “prohibit local governments from allowing a person to vote in local elections if they are not legally qualified to vote in state elections.”

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Ohio Secretary of State Announces Board of Education Districts; Democrats Object

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced this week that the state Board of Education district boundaries will conform to the plan Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued in January, spurring objections from Democratic lawmakers.

Nineteen individuals sit on the state Board of Education, with 11 of them standing for election. Five of the elected seats are up in this fall’s general election and those wishing to run must file by August 10.

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Ohio Business Startups Dip Again; LaRose Blames Inflation

The Center Square

Inflation is taking a toll on startup businesses in Ohio, dropping the state’s new business filings by more than a quarter from a year ago, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

LaRose pointed to two surveys from the National Federation of Independent Business that show inflation continues to be a significant factor for small business and small business optimism both nationwide and in Ohio.

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LaRose Directs Ohio Counties to Move Forward with Second Primary

The Center Square

Calling a federal court’s order to implement state legislative district maps that were twice ruled unconstitutional a temporary solution, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose directed county boards of election to move forward with preparations for an Aug. 2 primary election.

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House Passes Bill Allowing Ohio Election Officials Limited Connection to Private Groups

The Center Square

Confusion for some Ohio boards of election forced a new bill that walks back at least part of a law stopping election officials from working with nongovernmental entities.

The Ohio General Assembly tacked the legislation onto its budget last year. Despite assurances from lawmakers and Secretary of State Frank LaRose the ban would not create an issue for local election officials, Attorney General Dave Yost issued an opinion in January that said the new law criminalizes partnerships with private groups, but most routine work is OK.

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Ohio’s Record Run of Business Startups Stops

The Center Square

Ohio’s record run of business startups ended in April, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose blamed rising inflation for discouraging entrepreneurs from creating new business.

LaRose on Thursday also called on leaders in Washington to put politics aside and work to bring rising costs under control.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Calls on Federal Government to Address Inflation

Cooper Moran

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose called on the federal government to address record inflation that is impacting small businesses across the state.

According to LaRose, his office received only 15,488 new business filings in April 2022—a dramatic decline from previous months. In March, he got 20 percent more applications.

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We the People Convention Endorses John Adams for Ohio Secretary of State

Cooper Moran

We the People Convention, an Ohio-based nonprofit that advocates for limited constitutional governance, endorsed former state Rep. John Adams for Ohio Secretary of State.

Adams is running in the GOP primary against incumbent Frank LaRose, who recently gained the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

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Federal Court Imposes May 28 Deadline on Ohio Redistricting Commission

The Center Square

A federal court gave the Ohio Redistricting Commission until May 28 to draw state legislative redistricting maps that meet a court order, or it will implement a previously rejected map so the state can hold an Aug. 2 primary.

The three-judge panel, voting 2-1, said it would impose the commission’s third set of maps because the state had started preparing to use those maps before they were declared unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

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Ohio Election Officials Say Second Primary Must Be August 2

The Center Square

Ohio election officials said the state could not hold its second primary any later than Aug. 2, despite an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that suggested the state could easily hold an election later in August or even September.

The Ohio Association of Election Officials said overseas and military ballots, along with other requirements for testing voting systems and proofing ballots, make Aug. 2 the last day to have a primary for state legislative offices if the same rules are to be met for the November general election.

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Ohio Redistricting GOP Say They Had No Options for State Maps

The Center Square

Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission say they did everything the state Supreme Court ordered them to do. Still, they say independent map makers ran out of time, leaving tweaks to a previously unconstitutional GOP plan as the only option for new state legislative districts.

The responses from Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, State Auditor Keith Faber, Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and House Speaker Robert Cupp, R-Lima, came at the 9 a.m. deadline on Monday the court gave to show cause why the group should not be held in contempt.

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Independent Map Makers Get Orders from Ohio Redistricting Commission

The Center Square

Two independent map makers could have a first draft of state legislative maps to the Ohio Redistricting Commission by Thursday night, a day after getting their instructions.

The commission faces a Monday deadline to have new maps on the desk of Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who must have the maps to the Ohio Supreme Court by 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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State Legislative Races Removed from Ohio’s May 3 Primary

Admin

Ohio voters will not be able to decide on candidates for the state Legislature during the May 3 primary after the state Supreme Court struck down new district maps for the third time.

In a letter to House and Senate leadership and Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said it was no longer logistically possible to include district-specific legislative races on the ballots.

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State Official: More Money Needed for Ohio Primary Elections

The Center Square
Frank LaRose of Ohio

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wants more money from the General Assembly to conduct the state’s May 3 primary after continued delays in creating new district maps increased pressure on county boards of elections.

LaRose, who also is a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission that twice had maps thrown out by the Ohio Supreme Court, also ordered county boards to start taking steps to place candidates for the General Assembly on the ballot, even though the court has yet to approve a third set of maps passed late last week.

“The General Assembly has the legal authority to set the time, place, and manner of our elections, and they’ve made it clear that the state House and Senate contests will be placed on the May 3 ballot,” LaRose said. “I’ve also communicated to the legislative leaders the risks associated with rushing this process. Elections officials across Ohio are concerned about the compressed timeline for candidate certification, ballot preparation and the programming and testing of voting equipment.”

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Ohio GOP Vice Chairman Vows to Block LaRose: ‘Endorsing Frank LaRose’ Renders ‘Republican Principles Meaningless’

Neil W. McCabe

The Ohio Republican Party’s vice chairman announced Tuesday in an email to all members of the state party’s executive council and the central committee that he intends to block an endorsement of Secretary of State Frank LaRose at Friday’s central committee meeting at Lewis Center’s Nationwide Conference Center.

“Dear Fellow Ohio State Republican Central & Executive Committee members: At our state committee meeting Friday, I plan to move to block the endorsement of Frank LaRose,” wrote Bryan C. Williams, who is also the chairman of the Summit County Republican.

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Ohio Investigation Reports 27 Potential Instances of Voter Fraud out of 6 Million Votes

The Center Square

Of the nearly 6 million votes cast in Ohio during the November 2020 general election, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says 27 potentially were illegal and have been referred to local prosecutors.

LaRose sent 62 referrals of potential election fraud to either Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost or other prosecutors. Of those, 31 were noncitizens who registered to vote but did not cast a ballot. The others may have cast a ballot in the 2020 general election or illegally in an earlier election.

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Ohio Begins to Purge Voter Rolls of Dead, Moved Residents

Admin

Ohio’s 88 boards of election began the process of removing inactive voters and those who have moved from the state’s voter rolls this week, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said.

The four-year process identifies voters who have not voted in an election for at least two years and those that appear on the National Change of Address database. Each of those identified would be sent a confirmation notice informing them of their inactivity and how to remain active.

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Election Board Says Gubernatorial Candidate’s 2020 Presidential Election Vote Cast, but Not Recorded in His History

Jack Windsor

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Last week a Republican primary candidate for the 2022 Ohio gubernatorial race uncovered that his vote in the 2020 Presidential Election was not reflected in his voter history on the Franklin County Board of Elections (FCBOE) website.

Joe Blystone, a Canal Winchester rancher and first-time political candidate, requested FCBOE investigate the matter.  FCBOE later determined that Blystone’s vote was cast but not recorded in his voter history. 

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Ohio Secretary of State Has Serious Concerns About H.R. 1

The Center Square

While Congress continues to push toward voting law changes and efforts to federalize elections, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose continues to speak out in trying to protect states’ authority.

LaRose and the Ohio General Assembly were among the first a month ago to call attention to House Resolution 1, which LaRose said is a federal takeover of state-run elections.

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Fifteen Secretaries of State Endorse Keep Nine Amendment

Jason M. Reynolds

A group of 15 secretaries of state this week issued their support for the “Keep Nine Amendment” recently introduced in Congress, marking the latest victory for the organization seeking to preserve the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Keep Nine Amendment said in a statement that the 15 sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy.

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2020 Presidential Election Sets Records in Ohio

Jack Windsor

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) held a press briefing at the Ohio State House on Tuesday to discuss the 2020 US Election.

“Way back in March and April we started to roll up our sleeves and figure out how are we going to run a Presidential Election in the midst of a pandemic. Obviously, this is an historic election. One unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” said LaRose.

Ohio boasts 4,000 poll locations and 56,000 poll volunteers and to handle the estimated 6 million voters – which would break a record according to LaRose.

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Ohio Secretary of State Wins Stay of Ongoing Ballot Box Issue

Admin

It’s a new week and with it comes another turn surrounding ballot drop boxes in Ohio.

After a federal district judge Friday sharply criticized Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and ordered multiple drop boxes at multiple locations be allowed, a federal appeals court stayed that order.

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Republicans Argue Against Electronic Ohio Ballot Application

The Associated Press

Ohio’s top election official acted reasonably when he barred counties from accepting absentee ballot applications electronically in the face of potential cyberthreats and a loosely worded law, lawyers for the state and Republicans argued in a court filing Wednesday.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s directive was also “consistent with more than a decade of bipartisan precedent,” according to groups including the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and the state GOP.

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Michigan and Ohio Secretaries of State Endorse Zuckerberg’s Millions Directed to Elections

Corinne Murdock

Michigan and Ohio state secretaries Jocelyn Benson and Frank LaRose endorsed $300 million directed to elections by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. The Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL) and Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) announced Tuesday that Zuckerberg and his wife donated in order “to promote safe and reliable voting in states and localities.”

Both Benson and LaRose agreed that the investment was necessary considering the pandemic’s effects on the presidential election. LaRose reposted the press release the day it came out, citing the need for accurate information during voting.

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Ohio Secretary of State LaRose Backs Get-Out-the-Vote Initiative After 21,000 Votes are Lost

Ben Kolodny

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has partnered with barbershops and beauty parlors across Ohio as part of a get out to vote initiative.

The “Styling for Democracy” initiative comes after over 21,000 absentee votes for the state’s primary, about 1% of all absentee votes were lost. In an event in front of Columbus’ A Cut Above The Rest Barbershop, LaRose and local leaders called on the community to volunteer as election workers and vote in the upcoming election.

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Dems Again Blast Secretary of State LaRose Over Postage for Ballots

Admin

State Democrats are again blasting Secretary of State Frank LaRose after the state Controlling Board did not hear his request for authority to pay return postage for absentee ballots.

Last week, LaRose said he wanted to use up to $3 million to pay for postage for absentee ballots cast in November’s election.

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Kanye West Sues Ohio Election Head to Get on November Ballot

The Associated Press

Rapper Kanye West sued Ohio’s election chief Wednesday in an effort to be placed on the November presidential ballot after the Secretary of State deemed him unqualified as an independent candidate.

West’s emergency filing against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose comes days after the election’s chief rejected the nearly 15,000 signatures and other paperwork the rapper submitted earlier this month in an attempt to run for president, citing mismatched information on the signature-gathering documents.

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Ohio Elections Chief Frank LaRose Seeks Openness for ‘Dark Money’ Groups

The Associated Press

The source of money contributed to so-called “dark money” groups operating in Ohio and trying to influence the political process should be disclosed, with possible penalties for violating this requirement including a low-level felony and a substantial fine, Ohio’s Republican elections chief said Monday.

The Secretary of State should also have subpoena power for campaign-finance related records and groups trying to block the gathering of ballot initiative signatures should be required to register with the state, said Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

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With Less Than a Week Left, Only 22 Percent of Registered Voters in Ohio Have Requested an Absentee Ballot for the Ohio Primary

Zachery Schmidt

Registered Ohio voters have not taken advantage of the extended primary election deadline as numbers released Tuesday by Ohio Secretary of State (OSOS) Frank LaRose shows low turnout.

With less than a week until the primary election deadline, only 1,667,883 Ohioans have requested a vote-by-mail absentee ballot. Ohio has 7.7 million registered voters, according to The Columbus Dispatch. This means that less than 22 percent of registered Ohioans have requested an absentee ballot.

Gov. Mike DeWine pushed back Ohio’s original primary election date from March 17 to April 28 after declaring a health emergency due to the coronavirus. People are expected to vote by mail rather than in-person. Only certain situations will allow Ohioans to vote in-person.

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LaRose Draws Heat for Moving Primary Election Date, a Move Called ‘Anarchy’ and ‘Executive Fiat’

Jason M. Reynolds

Skeptics are calling Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s June 2 primary election date theoretical, saying the Legislature, not he, has the power to move the date.

Adjectives that are being thrown around include “anarchy” and “executive fiat.”

LaRose is already dictating the rules 88 county boards of elections should follow, the Ohio Capital Journal said. These LaRose rules include the dictate that county boards of election should not accept any new voter registrations ahead of the not-yet-official June 2 election.

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Ohio Democratic Party Sues Frank LaRose for Acting Without ‘Legal Authority’ in Setting New Primary Date

Anthony Gockowski

The Ohio Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose over the state’s chaotic postponement of the presidential primary.

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