Press Releases

COLUMBUS –This week, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)(opens in a new window) announced that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been appointed as the Elections Committee Co-Chair. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will serve with Secretary LaRose as co-chair.

COLUMBUS – Once again, in an effort to ensure every eligible voter gets registered and can make their voice heard, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is sending information about how to get registered to 110,448 Ohioans who are eligible to vote but aren’t yet registered.

COLUMBUS - Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose today announced that Mr. Richard Duncan and Mr. Rodney E. Garrett Jr. met the requirements necessary to appear together on the presidential ballot in Ohio for the November 3, 2020 General Election. At the request of Mr. Duncan, and as allowed under Ohio law, Mr. Howie Hawkins and Ms. Angela Walker will appear on the ballot together as independent candidates for president and vice president in place of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Garrett.

COLUMBUS – After June 2020 new business filings broke all previous records with the most new business filings in one month, Ohioans went out (or in many instances stayed-in, at home) and started even more businesses in July. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose today announced 18,483 new businesses filed in July --15% more than the short-lived record of 16,047 from the previous month. The number of new businesses created in July is also a massive 65% increase over July 2019.

COLUMBUS – Today, RB Sigma LLC announced a partnership with the Ohio Secretary of State to donate 463,500 surgical masks to help keep voters and poll workers safe. In accordance with Governor DeWine’s statewide mask mandate, all Ohioans are required to wear a mask at polling locations. In support of that requirement and to ease the burden on election officials preparing for the November election, this donation from RB Sigma, LLC will be a massive help to Ohio’s county boards of elections.

COLUMBUS– Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is requesting the authority from the Ohio Controlling Board to use funds from the Business Services Division fund within the Secretary’s office to pay for postage on all absentee ballots.

COLUMBUS –As Ohio continues our effort to recruit new poll workers in preparation for the fall election, the Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) will now allow Ohio Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to obtain required Continuing Public Education (CPE) general credits for CPAs serving as poll workers in 2020. This builds off the recent decision by the Ohio Supreme Court to allow Ohio attorneys to obtain CLE credit in exchange for serving as poll workers. (Read more about that decision by clicking here.(opens in a new window))

COLUMBUS –In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health, Secretary of State LaRose issued the Ohio Voting Safety Plan to our state’s 88 county boards of elections. The 48-point plan sets forth requirements for boards of elections, as well as recommendations for voters, for how to run a safe and healthy election this fall.

COLUMBUS - Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has issued the nation’s first state elections system Vulnerability Disclosure Policy. The policy, common among larger private sector businesses, establishes procedures for outside researchers to inspect the Secretary of State’s website for vulnerabilities. Once those vulnerabilities are reported, it allows 120 calendar days for LaRose’s office to repair the vulnerability before the researcher may publicly announce its discovery. Having a defined time period provides assurances to the cybersecurity community that reporting of potential vulnerabilities will be treated with the seriousness they deserve.

COLUMBUS –In accordance with his duty as Ohio Secretary of State and following both federal and state law, Secretary LaRose has issued a directive to implement voter list maintenance. The US Supreme Court upheld the law as carried out by Secretaries Brown, Blackwell, Taft, Brunner, and Husted, but no previous Ohio Secretary of State has ever undertaken the level of outreach that Secretary LaRose is doing in 2020.

COLUMBUS – Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose launched the Ohio Secretary of State Diversity & Empowerment Council.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the Greene County Board of Elections to reject non-citizen voter registrations and put measures in place to ensure only citizens are allowed to cast their ballot in November.

COLUMBUS– Today Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced the businesses selected for this month’s Ohio Business Spotlight. This summer, Ohioans want to experience the great outdoors while also helping curb the spread of COVID19. We are highlighting outdoor recreation businesses in various regions of the state that provide safe outdoor activities for families by embracing CDC guidelines such as wearing masks and social distancing. The featured businesses provide acres of land to enjoy activities with smaller spread out groups, outdoor sports, camping, kayaking, and even working farms.

COLUMBUS – In a directive sent to the Greene County Board of Elections today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the board to reject non-citizen voter registrations and put measures in place ensuring only citizens are allowed to vote this November. In the 2020 primary election, the Village of Yellow Springs approved a charter amendment that explicitly allowed non-citizens to register and vote in local elections.

COLUMBUS- Today, Representatives Gayle Manning and Jessica Miranda introduced HB 737 that will ultimately require corporations to report campaign donations to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

July 27, 2020

COLUMBUS –On July 24th, CBS News aired a 7-minute segment about one of the biggest challenges facing Ohio’s absentee ballot system and absentee voting across the country – the length of time it takes for voters to get their mail. The piece, seen by clicking here, highlights mail system delays and the potential impact on voters attempting to vote by absentee ballot this fall(opens in a new window).

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Supreme Court issued an order(opens in a new window) allowing Ohio attorneys to receive required Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for serving as precinct election officials on Election Day this fall. The decision supports the Secretary’s Ready for November initiative by recruiting new poll workers to ensure Ohio voters have a safe, secure and fair election.

COLUMBUS – Today Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred nineteen apparent or alleged violations of Ohio campaign finance laws to the Ohio Elections Commission. All nineteen are connected to the 82-page Criminal Complaint(opens in a new window) that was publicly released today against State Representative Larry Householder, Jeff Longstreth, Neil Clark, Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes.

COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose today announced 16,047 new businesses filed in June -- the most new filings in one month ever. The number of new businesses created in June is a substantial 61% increase over June 2019 and a 24% increase over last month.