(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) On Aug. 1, 2024, Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered county election boards to remove 499 non-citizens from their voter rolls.
The Daily Wire reported that the news came after LaRose audited the state’s voter registration database before the 2024 election.
The audit began in May of this year after the Ohio Public Integrity Division found that 137 people in Ohio were registered to vote, even though they confirmed twice that they were not Americans.
According to LaRose’s office, LaRose’s latest order targets more individuals who confirmed to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) that they are non-citizens. A review of the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database system also confirmed that status.
“I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections. That means I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country aren’t voting,” he said.
LaRose also said that the investigation into Ohio’s voter rolls is ongoing as officials push to prevent voter fraud in the 2024 election. People affected by his order can still submit a provisional ballot, which will be counted if they prove they are American citizens.
“I want to give these folks the benefit of the doubt and say that most of them didn’t intend to break the law. We want to make sure a mistaken registration doesn’t become an illegal vote. We also want to make sure that lawfully registered citizens can participate seamlessly in the process, especially if their citizenship status changed recently,” he added.
