Combating Foreign Disinformation
- This week, the FBI held a press conference to announce the latest attempt by Russian and Iranian foreign operatives to interfere in the 2020 election. That evening, Secretary LaRose released a video assuring voters of the integrity of our election systems, encouraging them to fight back by voting, and reminding Ohioans to report any disinformation or voter intimidation to [email protected].
- This week Secretary LaRose was on CNN sharing how Ohio combats disinformation from foreign adversaries. Click here to watch.
Election Month in Full Swing
- Secretary LaRose hosted a Facebook live town hall to share updates on the election, reminders of deadlines, and giving voters a chance to ask the questions they have about voting in Ohio. Watch the full town hall here.
- Secretary LaRose hosted another productive meeting with the Ohio Secretary of State Diversity & Empowerment Council this week. This group of minority leaders has been a great partner in combating misinformation and spreading the word on Ohio’s accessible elections.
- Secretary LaRose released a video taking voters through the “Life of an Absentee Ballot”. The video displays the layers of safeguards put in place from the moment a ballot request arrives at a county board of elections to the moment the unofficial results are securely transmitted to the Secretary of State’s office. The video helps to cut through the misinformation surrounding absentee voting, adding unprecedented transparency to the process. Watch “Life of an Absentee Ballot” here.
- The regional representatives for the Ohio Secretary of State’s office were at boards of elections throughout the state offering an update of what they saw including safe and fast-moving lines. Watch their updates here.
- Secretary LaRose participated in a Twitter Q&A moderated by Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan. Check out the chat here.
2020 Election by the Numbers
- Total Ballots Cast: 1,115,711
- Absentee Ballots Applications Received: 2,745,403
- Ballots Cast Early In Person: 440,480
- Poll Worker Tracker: A record 148,838 poll worker referrals
Early Voting Hours Next Week:
- Saturday, October 24th from 8:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
- Sunday, October 25th from 1:00p.m. – 5:00p.m.
- Monday, October 26th – Friday, October 30th from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Additional Events:
- The Secretary was invited to participate in an online panel by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, titled “Navigating the Rapids: Swing State Secretaries and the 2020 Elections.”
- Secretary LaRose was a featured panelist on Cybertech USA’s national conference session on cybersecurity titled “Elections 2020: Security, Reliability, and Deep Fake.
- Secretary LaRose made a quick stop at the grand opening of the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Medici Museum of Art featuring the artists Scouting Collection.
- The Secretary met with Pastor Todd Johnson and Councilwoman Cheryl Saffold for an update on the Warren community.