(The Center Square) – Days after removing nearly 500 noncitizens from voter rolls in Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said more than 150,000 other voters have been removed as well.
LaRose said all 88 county election boards finished the annual list maintenance process, which resulted in 154,995 voters being removed for being inactive or having out-of-date registrations.
The removals were the next phase of an audit of the statewide voter registration database.
LaRose called the process a voter registration integrity initiative leading to the November General Election.
“Every Ohioan, regardless of their political views, should care about accurate voter rolls,” LaRose said. “Diligent list maintenance helps prevent voter fraud and ensures the voice of the voters is heard on Election Day. Ohio’s process has been carried out by Republican and Democratic secretaries of state for decades, and I’m proud of the work our bipartisan elections officials do to ensure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Buckeye State.”
The most recent people to be removed either filled out a national change of address form that showed they had permanently moved or were inactive but not yet removed from the rolls.
In Ohio, if a person fails to vote for four consecutive years, fails to confirm their registration and fails to respond to mailed notices, they can no longer vote without registering again.
Last week, LaRose removed 499 noncitizens registered to vote. The removals came after individuals confirmed their noncitizen status with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. State officials then confirmed the status through the federal government.
LaRose said the people failed to respond to notices from his office that asked them to either confirm their status or cancel their registration. Those who were removed from the rolls can cast a provisional ballot that would be counted after proof of citizenship is offered.