Ohio's Election System Ensures Voter Integrity, Keeps Fraud Exceedingly Rare
This week, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose transmitted 62 referrals of potential election fraud to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost or local county prosecutors for further investigation and potential prosecution. Of these, 31 are non-citizens who registered to vote but did not cast a ballot. The other 31 may have cast a ballot in the 2020 general election or illegally in an earlier election.
Included in the 31 potentially illegally cast ballots are 27 that were cast in the 2020 general election. Of the record-breaking nearly 6 million votes cast in that election, the 27 votes account for 0.0005 percent of the total.
“Here are the facts: Ohio smashed voter turnout records in 2020 while providing Ohioans a secure election. Our state is proof positive you don’t have to choose between secure or convenient elections -- we have both. In Ohio, easy to vote and hard to cheat aren’t mutually exclusive. At the end of the day, these referrals are all about accountability. Lawbreakers should know we take election security seriously, and we won’t allow even one unlawful vote to go unpunished on my watch.”
By the Numbers
- 62: Total cases of potential election fraud being referred
- 31: Potential non-citizen voter registrations referred to the Ohio Attorney General
- 31: Potential cases of illegally cast votes being referred, including 27 which were cast in the 2020 general election
- 4: Non-citizens who potentially cast a ballot in the 2020 general election
- 14: Deceased individuals who potentially cast a ballot in the 2020 general election
- 9: Individuals who potentially cast multiple ballots in Ohio in one election.
Secretary LaRose joined The Boxer Show on 610 WTVN to announce the referrals and discuss the strong state of election integrity in Ohio. Listen to the full interview here.
Shining a Light on Black-Owned Businesses
In honor of February being Black History Month, this week Secretary LaRose highlighted eight Black-owned businesses in Ohio that have shown what hard work looks like, continue to make their communities better, and inspire others to chase their entrepreneurial dreams. While there are countless minority-owned businesses in Ohio that have equally impressive and inspiring stories, the eight businesses highlighted below represent just a sampling of some of the courageous and creative efforts Black job creators have taken to launch successful operations in our state.
“We are proud of our minority business owners for the work they do across Ohio, and for the inspiration they provide to others. Entrepreneurship can lift families, communities, and provide for intergenerational wealth, and good government requires that access to success is available to every Ohioan. I applaud every risk-taker who seeks to make their mark in Ohio’s growing economy, and during the month of February, we should all honor those Ohio job creators who are helping ensure that Ohio remains the ideal state to live, work, and succeed.”
Businesses in the Spotlight:
- The Stack – Chillicothe, Ross County
- Hutch Baby – Cincinnati, Hamilton County
- E.E. Ward Storage and Moving – Grove City, Franklin County
- Bam & Bros Barbershop – Athens, Athens County
- Zanzibar – Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
- Onyx Café – Toledo, Lucas County
- Salt Me! – Trumbull County
- ARK Restoration and Construction – Toledo, Lucas County
Learn more about the businesses in the spotlight this month at OhioSoS.gov/Spotlight.
One such business is Hutch Baby, a Cincinnati clothing store and a one-stop-shop for new mothers and fathers in the community. Through classes for fathers on properly installing car seats to lessons with lactation experts on breastfeeding, Hutch Baby is using their business to become a learning center for parents. Secretary LaRose met with Alexus, the owner, who showed him around the store and talked through the unique programs aimed at creating generations of parents equipped with the skills and drive to be active in their children’s development.
Campaign Filing Deadline
On Monday, candidates and committees that met the qualifications under Ohio Revised Code §3517.10 were required to file their 2021 Annual Campaign Finance reports.
These reports, including breakdowns of contributions and expenditures, are compiled by the Ohio Secretary of State's campaign finance division and can be viewed at OhioSoS.gov/Campaign-Finance.
Candidates File for the 2022 Election
This week, the Ohio Secretary of State's office released the list of statewide candidates who met the February 2nd filing deadline to run in the 2022 primary election.
The candidate filings -- petitions requiring the signatures of a prescribed number of registered voters -- will now be sent to the county boards of elections for signature verification. If a candidate's filing meets the statutory requirements, the candidate will then be certified to be placed on the May 3rd primary election ballot. A directive from the Secretary of State will soon be sent to the county boards informing them of their deadline to verify the petition signatures.
Ohio Senate and House candidates do not file with the Secretary of State, but instead filed with the board of elections in the most populous county in the contested district.
The following candidates filed petitions with the Secretary of State's office by the filing deadline:
U.S. Senate
Republican: Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Bill Graham, Josh Mandel, Bernie Moreno, Neil Patel, Mark Pukita, Jane Timken, J.D. Vance
Democrat: Morgan Harper, Traci Johnson, Tim Ryan, LaShondra Tinsley
Ohio Governor
Republican: Joe Blystone, Mike DeWine, Ron Hood, Jim Renacci
Democrat: John Cranley, Nan Whaley
Ohio Attorney General
Republican: Dave Yost
Democrat: Jeff Crossman
Ohio Auditor
Republican: Keith Faber
Democrat: Taylor Sappington
Ohio Secretary of State
Republican: John Adams, Frank LaRose, Terpsehore Maras
Democrat: Chelsea Clark
Ohio Treasurer
Republican: Robert Sprague
Democrat: Scott Schertzer
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Republican: Sharon Kennedy
Democrat: Jennifer Brunner
Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Republican: Pat DeWine, Pat Fischer
Democrat: Terri Jamison, Marilyn Zayas
Supporting Minority Entrepreneurs
Coming off the successful passage of legislation to cut red tape for minority, women and veteran-owned businesses, a top priority of Secretary LaRose, the Secretary hosted a roundtable with dozens of minority business owners in Forest Park. Since taking office, Secretary LaRose has convened more than a dozen minority business roundtables across the state with minority job creators to better understand their successes and challenges, and to inform them of potential programs and resources that may be helpful to them.
Boards of Elections Inspire the Next Generation to Value Voting
Engaging future voters has been a priority of Secretary LaRose since taking office. From talking to high school students to reading children’s books about voting at kindergartens and head-start programs, the Secretary believes it’s essential to engage the next generation and demystify voting. This extends to encouraging the boards of elections to engage in creative ways with youth groups. Recently, the Auglaize County Board of Elections welcomed local Girl Scout Troop 2001 to their office. There, the scouts voted in a mock election for their favorite dog breed and even earned a “future voter badge”.
In Case You Missed It:
The Business Journal: Ohio Sets Record for New Businesses Created in 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans set a new annual record of businesses created with 197,010, up 15% over the record set in 2020.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office reported 12,516 new businesses created in December, pushing total startups in 2021 past the previous year’s record of 171,073.
Read more here.
Highland County Press: Ohio General Assembly passes 2 top Secretary of State legislative priorities
On Wednesday, the Ohio General Assembly passed two common-sense, good government measures championed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the Secretary of State’s office said.
The Ohio House of Representatives unanimously approved SB 105, bipartisan legislation that removes needless red-tape and unnecessary paperwork when minority, women and veteran entrepreneurs seek Minority Business Enterprise (MBEs) certification in Ohio.
[…]
Also on Wednesday, both the House and Senate approved HB 93, legislation that extends the same privacy protections afforded to survivors of domestic violence to those purchasing a home, shielding their personal information in public databases.