Voter advocacy organizations in Ohio have raised concerns about the systematic removal of voters from the rolls in several counties. Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, along with legal representation from ACLU and the Brennan Center for Justice, sent a letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose stating that voters are being removed based on challenges by third-party groups, which is in violation of federal law. The advocates have urged LaRose to restore the registrations within 20 days or face potential legal action.
The National Voter Registration Act prohibits the systematic removal of names from voter rolls 90 days before a federal election. It also requires election officials to notify voters when their registrations are in danger of lapsing and provides a four-year window for remedying the situation. The advocates cited recent U.S. Justice Department guidance that outlines specific circumstances under which a person can be removed from the rolls for a change of residency, highlighting the need for written address changes or meeting federal notice and waiting period requirements.
Dan Lusheck, a spokesperson for LaRose’s office, mentioned that an Ohio law allowing voter challenges until 30 days before an election has been in place for nearly 20 years. However, this law pertains to individual voter challenges and not systematic removals. LaRose’s office cast a tie vote against sustaining most of the Delaware County registration challenges, and they have committed to reviewing claims involving other counties where mass removals have been reported.
Conservative groups across the country have been actively challenging voter registrations this year, prompting Democrats to accuse them of a coordinated effort to instill doubt in the 2024 presidential election results. Similar instances of voter registration challenges have been reported in Michigan and Alabama, with legal actions being taken in response. The advocates provided examples of mass removals in several Ohio counties, including Delaware, Muskingum, and Logan, where voter registrations were allegedly removed without following federal procedures.
In Delaware County, challenges were granted based on voters’ purported changes of residence, potentially affecting hundreds of voters. Similar situations occurred in Muskingum and Logan counties, where third-party groups brought challenges without evidence of compliance with federally required notice and waiting period procedures. LaRose addressed the challenges in Delaware County, acknowledging the removal of voters who had moved out of state and were shown to have registered or voted in another state. However, he opposed sustaining challenges to the remaining registrations due to a lack of clear proof that they had registered or voted in specific states.
Despite the challenges raised by voter advocacy organizations, LaRose emphasized the importance of civic engagement in ensuring the integrity of elections. He commended citizens for engaging in the verification of voter rolls, expressing a shared commitment to honest and accurate elections. The ongoing debate over voter registration challenges in Ohio highlights the complex intersection of state laws, federal regulations, and the importance of maintaining accurate voter rolls to uphold the democratic process.
