LaRose’s removal of Ohio voters questioned

An Ohio state representative continues to wait for answers from Secretary of State Frank LaRose about recent voter purges, including those he said were noncitizens.

LaRose announced in August more than 200,000 voters had been removed from the state voter rolls.

“Voting rights are fundamental to a functioning democracy, serving as a cornerstone for ensuring that citizens have a voice in the governance of their country,” said Rep. Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus. “The right to vote empowers citizens to influence decisions that affect their lives, from local policies to national legislation. Protecting this right is essential to preventing disenfranchisement and ensuring equality, as historically marginalized groups have often been denied this fundamental right. Without robust protections for voting access, the legitimacy of democratic systems erodes, leading to unequal representation and weakening public trust in government institutions.”

LaRose said 500 noncitizens were removed, and another 154,995 came off the rolls for being inactive or having out-of-date registrations.

LaRose has said the process of purging the rolls is part of an integrity initiative leading to the November general election.

Abdullahi sent a letter to LaRose in September, asking for information on what data and processes were used to determine citizenship status.

Munira said LaRose has not responded, and Monday is the deadline to register to vote in Ohio.

“The Ohio secretary of state has been canceling some voter registrations based on citizenship status as indicated in BMV records,” said Vincent Wells, Community Refugee & Immigration Services attorney. "Unfortunately, these BMV records do not reflect if someone may have become a naturalized citizen since they last obtained a state ID or driver's license. While it is important to note that noncitizens cannot vote, if you are a naturalized U.S. citizen, you may have had your voter registration canceled because of this new practice."

LaRose has said 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.