Exclusive: Ohio Elections Chief Launches Portal Granting Citizens Greater Voter Roll Oversight
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose launched an online portal on Monday increasing citizens’ ability to ensure accurate voter rolls, The Federalist learned.
“Transparency earns trust, and I’ll continue to do everything in my power to make Ohio’s elections the most transparent in the nation,” LaRose said in a statement.
According to an office press release obtained by The Federalist, the new data webpage will give “daily updates of voter registration changes across Ohio’s 88 counties, including new registrations, updates, and removals from voter rolls.” Ohio law mandates that local election boards “generate daily snapshots of their county voter registration database and provide those snapshots to the Secretary of State’s office,” according to a February 2024 memo issued by LaRose.
The GOP secretary of state’s office noted that citizens are encouraged to “crowdsource” information from the new online portal and use it to “report any discrepancies” to state election officials to maintain accurate voter rolls.
“On the heels of the smoothest presidential election in Ohio’s history, this new tool will generate an even deeper level of trust in our elections and bolster election integrity in 2025 and beyond,” LaRose said.
The new portal comes as part of LaRose’s implementation of the DATA Act, which was approved in July 2023 with the purpose of enhancing transparency and efficiency surrounding Ohio’s election data and voter list maintenance. The Ohio Republican used the law’s provisions to create the state’s Office of Data Analytics and Archives that same month, which oversees such matters.
The creation of the Buckeye State’s new online portal is one of several actions adopted by LaRose to ensure accurate and transparent elections.
In 2023, Ohio was among numerous Republican-led states to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a leftist-linked voter roll “maintenance” group.
As The Federalist previously reported, the organization was founded by Democrat activist David Becker and “sold to states as a quick and easy way to update their voter rolls.” In actuality, ERIC inflates voter rolls by requiring member states to contact eligible but unregistered residents to register to vote.
ERIC also reportedly shares voter roll information with the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR), another Becker-founded group known for its “Zuckbucks” interference in the 2020 election.
In a March 2023 letter explaining his decision to withdraw from ERIC, LaRose noted that the organization “repeatedly [chose] to ignore demands to embrace reforms that would bolster confidence in its performance, encourage growth in its membership, and ensure not only its present stability but also its durability.” Ohio has since formed interstate voter roll data-sharing compacts with several other states to maintain clean voter registration lists.
Other states that have withdrawn from ERIC in recent years include Texas, Virginia, and Florida, and others.
Landmark Data Act Continues… by The Federalist
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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