630 Cases of Alleged Voter Fraud Have Now Been Referred by Secretary LaRose Over the Course of His Administration
Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred 75 individuals to the Ohio Attorney General and county prosecutors for further investigation and potential prosecution. Thanks to a joint partnership with several states around the nation, Ohio has been able to identify individuals who allegedly voted first in one state, and then cast another ballot in Ohio in violation of state law. All violations occurred in the 2020 general election. This is the second round of referrals and includes individuals identified through partnerships with Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Washington, Washington DC, and Wisconsin. The first round yielded four referrals from four states. Additional referrals in conjunction with other partner states are expected.
“This is a perfect example of why we created the Public Integrity Division,” said LaRose. “The only way to strengthen the confidence of the voters is by working every day to earn their trust. Ohioans should know if you violate election law, we’ll catch you. Every vote matters.”
The review utilized the data provided by partner states to cross-match with voter history in Ohio. Each potential violation was then investigated individually in coordination with the Secretary of State’s office or local jurisdiction in the other state. According to state law, the criminal act is the second vote. Relevant documentation is being referred to law enforcement for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Today’s referrals bring the total number made over the course of the LaRose Administration to 630. These include non-citizen registration and voting, individuals who vote twice, as well as individuals who vote on behalf of a deceased individual. It’s important to note that because Ohio is a bottom-up state, the 630 referrals is not a comprehensive count of all instances of voter fraud within Ohio. County boards of elections conduct their own investigations and make their own referrals for instances of potential fraud that they may discover. It’s also important to note that these 630 referrals for voter fraud are over the course of multiple elections. While voter fraud continues to be exceedingly rare, it is nonetheless a very serious violation of election law. Since 2020, there have been 31 tie votes across Ohio, meaning even one fraudulent vote could impact the future of an Ohio community.
Beginning soon, reviews like these will be conducted by professional investigators within the Public Integrity Division. By doing so, these investigations will be completed faster, and investigators will be able to work more closely with prosecutors to bring lawbreakers to justice. You can learn more about the Public Integrity Division by visiting OhioSoS.gov/PublicIntegrity.
You can read the letter to the Ohio Attorney General.
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