Public Integrity
What is the Public Integrity Division?
Ohioans deserve absolute confidence in their public institutions, and none of those institutions is more essential to our democracy than the electoral process. Fair elections are the hallmark of our democracy. They serve to document and certify what Thomas Jefferson called “the consent of the governed,” and their integrity is vital to the representative government on which our states and nation have thrived. The office of the Secretary of State carries with it a unique responsibility and duty not only to administer our voting process, but also to ensure confidence in its outcome.
The Public Integrity Division addresses that need while building upon our state’s tradition of innovation. For the first time, the office’s current investigative functions, including campaign finance reporting, voting system certification, voter registration integrity, election law violations, data retention & transparency, and cybersecurity protocols will work together to be both more efficient and effective.
On this website you can learn more about how the new division will work, review county board of elections security requirements, learn about efforts Ohio has made to ensure the integrity of our elections, and much more.
Post-Election Audits
A post-election audit is a comprehensive review of results to verify that the election was accurate. Prior to an election, county boards of elections are required to conduct a full battery of tests called logic and accuracy (L&A) testing on all voting equipment. After each election, a bipartisan team of Republicans and Democrats from county boards of elections compares the tabulated results to the hardcopy paper ballots to ensure fidelity between the two. Unlike other states, Secretary LaRose has required Ohio’s county boards to audit election results after every election.
Ohio counties can utilize one of two types of audits – a percentage-based audit or a risk-limiting audit – both widely considered as reliable ways to determine the accuracy of the results.
Life of an Absentee Ballot
See how an absentee ballot moves through Ohio's election system from start to finish.