Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
November 27, 2020

SECRETARY LAROSE CERTIFIES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS

COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose today certified the official results of the 2020 Presidential General Election. The Secretary’s signature today marks the completion of the official canvass and certifies winners in the 2020 General Election.

Data was collected by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office from the official canvass conducted and submitted by Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections. The Secretary of State conducted a precinct-by-precinct review of the data prior to certification. A list of all 88 county boards of election is available by following this link.

VIDEO: Official Certification of the 2020 General Election

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY - THE MOST ACCESSIBLE AND SECURE ELECTION IN OHIO HISTORY

ALL-TIME RECORD-BREAKING PARTICIPATION - Ohio’s most accessible election ever
  • The nearly 6 million votes cast are 200,344 more votes than the all-time record of 5,773,777 set in the 2008 general election.
  • The record 74% turnout surpasses the average of the presidential general election average from 2000-2020 of 65%.
  • All 88 counties had a higher turnout than in 2016
  • Eight counties had a turnout rate above 80 percent. The previous record of two was set in 2000.
ALL-TIME RECORD SET FOR EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING – Secretary LaRose's goal of maximizing early and absentee voting was a quantifiable success
  • 58.6% of all votes cast in the election were done early in-person or by absentee ballot. Four years ago, 33.5% cast their ballot in the same way.
  • 94% absentee ballot return rate surpasses rates from 2008, 2012, and 2016
ALL TIME LOW NUMBER OF REJECTED BALLOTS - efforts to educate voters and redesign absentee voting forms, instructions and envelopes worked
  • Rejection Rates by General Election:
    • November 2020: 0.42%
    • November 2016: 0.85%
    • November 2012: 1.03%

  • With the massive increase in mail-in absentee voting, including many first-time vote by mail users, conventional wisdom was that the rate of rejection would increase. In fact, thanks to reforms put in place by Secretary LaRose and the efforts of county boards of elections, the absentee ballot rejection rate for the November 2020 election was half that of previous elections. Reasons for the significant improvement include the policy decision to require county boards to quickly contact voters who may need to correct information on their ballot by using the voter’s e-mail address or phone number, in addition to the lawfully required mail notice. Additionally, major improvements to the design of the forms made them easier to correctly fill out and return.
DESPITE PARTISAN FEAR-MONGERING, VOTING BY MAIL WAS RELIABLE - efforts to work with USPS and hold them accountable paid-off.
  • Secretary LaRose worked closely with the United States Postal Service to provide for the successful delivery of election mail throughout the election. These efforts included systematic changes, like new all-clear procedures at processing centers, as well communications with USPS representatives to promote accountability. Additionally, Secretary LaRose made the prompt return of absentee ballots a key point in messaging throughout the course of the general election. As a result, there were only 84 ballots that were correctly postmarked by November 2nd but not received by the county board of elections within the legally required 10 days after the election. By comparison, 317 ballots were returned late by the postal service in the primary election – in just one county.
ALL TIME LOW NUMBER OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS - poll worker training and voter education combined with smart policies makes a difference for Ohio voters.
  • Total Provisional Ballots by General Election:
    • November 2020: 154,675
    • November 2016: 154,965
    • November 2012: 208,084
    • November 2008: 206,859

  • Fewer provisional ballots cast in the November 2020 election than in previous elections is a testament to policies that have made it less necessary to utilize a provisional ballot to cast your vote. For example, a policy decision was made this year that allowed voters who requested an absentee ballot but decided to vote early in-person to cast a standard ballot if they voted early in-person instead of a provisional ballot.

  • Provisional rejection rates by election:
    • Presidential General Election 2020: 15.75%
    • Presidential General Election 2008-2020 Average: 16.60%
    • Top three reasons for provisional rejection: Voter not registered in state (~70%),
    • Voters registered in state but voted in the wrong precinct and polling location (~10%), and Voter already voted (5%)
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
"Thanks to the Secretary of State’s excellent work reaching out to the Latino community with a unifying message that highlights the importance of our participation in the electoral process, where more than 200,000 Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2020 election. We want to congratulate Secretary LaRose on his outstanding performance throughout the election process." - Lilly Cavanaugh, Director of Ohio Latino Affairs Commission.

"Every voter I spoke with had a good experience voting, whether be it in person with the help of our great poll workers, or by filling out an absentee ballot at their home, Ohioans were proud to make their voice heard and I'm proud it is so easy." - Rev. Jeffrey Jemison, President of Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Ohio.

"Even in crowded urban areas of Ohio, the long socially distanced lines moved rapidly. Everyone in them seemed upbeat and positive, trusting their vote would be counted." - Pastor John T. Coats II, President of Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and Vicinity.

“Ohio’s smooth election could not have happened without the 56,000 newly trained poll workers that stepped up and were more than helpful to millions of voters who chose to vote in person on Election Day.”
 - Terrance Gragston, Co-Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., District of Ohio Policy Council.

“As with all massive operations involving 6 million people, issues arose, but poll workers, boards of elections, and the Secretary of State’s office were quick to solve them or fall back on planned contingencies to still ensure voters were able to cast a ballot. Ohio had a smooth election for a reason.” - Pierre Bejjani, Founder & President of Cleveland American Middle East Organization (C.A.M.E.O.)

WHAT'S NEXT?
On Monday, December 14, 2020 at noon, the 18 members of Ohio’s Electoral College will gather in the Senate Chamber of the Statehouse to cast their electoral votes for president and vice-president. This occasion marks the 55th meeting of the Ohio Electoral College since statehood in 1803.
Counties continue the post-election audit process, further ensuring Ohioans have faith in the integrity of the electoral process and that every valid vote is counted.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
November 2, 2020

OHIO SHATTERS EARLY VOTING RECORDS - ON ELECTION EVE, 3.4 MILLION OHIOANS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS

COLUMBUS – Tomorrow is Election Day! 3.4 million Ohio voters have cast their absentee ballot or voted early – shattering all previous records. Prior to this election, Ohio had never surpassed 2 million total votes in the entirety of the early voting period. With 243,023 absentee ballots still outstanding, Ohio’s early vote total is already 180 percent of the previous early vote record and equals 60 percent of the total number of votes cast in the entire 2016 General Election. This data includes all ballots received and processed through 2:00pm on Monday afternoon.

Beginning in the spring, Secretary LaRose identified poll worker recruitment, voter registration, health protocols, PPE distribution, combatting disinformation and, in order to reduce the burden on voting locations on election day, maximizing participation in early and absentee voting as the key priorities for conducting a successful election amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. These numbers show without a doubt that the goal of maximizing voter participation in early and absentee voting has been achieved. The quantifiable metrics for each of these distinct objectives makes it clear that our pandemic preparations have been a success and Ohio is ready for this election. Earlier today the Secretary shared this video(opens in a new window) illustrating the high state of preparedness Ohio has achieved as we have worked together over the last eight months.

Additional analysis of the data indicates that absentee ballots are being returned at a rate that drastically outpaces that of 2016. 2,071,699 absentee ballots have been returned to county boards of elections. In 2016, that number was essentially half that with just 1,136,728 absentee ballots returned. The doubling of the number of returned absentee ballots relative to 2016 is a very strong indicator that election mail is moving quickly and the expansion of secure drop boxes to every county board of elections for the first time in a general election, as ordered by the Secretary of State, has made it easier than ever for voters to return their ballots.

Absentee ballot requests increased by 612,241to a total of 3,785,827requests received by county boards of elections statewide. The total number of absentee ballots requested includes 26,488 requests from military and overseas voters. At the same time during the 2016 election, 1,994,911 absentee ballots had been requested. 243,023 outstanding absentee ballots have not yet been returned to their county board of elections. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by today, November 2nd or delivered to the voter’s respective county board of elections by 7:30pm on November 3rd.

Ohio voters enjoy more hours for early in-person voting than voters in 43 other states. As of Monday afternoon, 1,339,764 Ohioans have voted early in-person. For comparison, at the same point in 2016, 661,549 voters had visited their early vote center to cast their ballot.

“Ohioans have refused to listen to the fear mongers who have spent months trying to convince them that it’s hard to vote – they’re proving it’s easy with every record broken,” said LaRose. “As ballots mailed on time continue to come in over the next ten days, Ohioans should rest assured that each legally cast ballot will be counted and their voice will be heard.”

 [Graphics]

County-by-county data may be found by clicking here (XLSX)(opens in a new window).

All absentee ballots received by the county board of elections by the close of polls on November 3rd will be included in the unofficial vote totals released on election night. Outstanding ballots that are postmarked by November 2nd and received by the county board of elections within 10 days after the election will be included in the final official results that are released in late November. Every properly cast ballot will be counted. Boards of Elections must contact and can help voters correct any issues with their respective ballot up until the 7th day after the election. The Ohio Secretary of State must certify the official election results by November 28th.

Of the 42 states that run a traditional absentee voting system, a comprehensive review by the Brookings Institute determined no state does it better than Ohio. SOURCE: www.brookings.edu/research/voting-by-mail-in-a-pandemic-a-state-by-state-scorecard/(opens in a new window).

Ohioans can learn more about absentee voting at VoteOhio.gov(opens in a new window).

Absentee voting in Ohio is time-tested and has strong security checks in place.

  • Ohioans have utilized absentee voting for nearly two decades, and that has allowed Ohio to put in place both the laws and processes necessary to make absentee voting secure against fraud.
  • Voter identification and signature are checked TWICE during the process.
  • Voter list maintenance allows for accurate voter rolls.
  • Ballot harvesting is against the law in Ohio.
  • Voters are able to track their ballot on VoteOhio.gov/Track(opens in a new window).
These requirements and processes, as well as strict laws against voter fraud, have made absentee voting secure in Ohio and instances of voter fraud exceedingly rare.

Holding the United States Postal Service Accountable.
During the primary, the USPS committed to implementing the following protocols at the urging of Secretary LaRose. It’s our understanding that these improvements will be continued this fall:

  • USPS will institute “all clear” processes at each sorting facility to ensure all election mail is processed each day.
  • Staff will recheck collection bins each day to ensure late arriving ballots are retrieved.
  • USPS will set up hand-to-hand delivery for election mail as it makes its way through processing on the Saturday prior to Election Day, from the board of elections to the distribution center.
  • Postal facilities will track election mail deliveries to Ohio’s boards of elections.
  • Election mail will not be routed through the Detroit Regional Distribution Center. Instead it will be kept in-state.
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
October 22, 2020

LAROSE ANNOUNCES A NEW RECORD FOR COMMITTED POLL WORKERS

COLUMBUS – With 12 days until the election, an all-time high of 53,981 Ohioans have signed up to serve as a poll worker on November 3rd! This includes 23,140 Democratic poll workers and 20,206 Republicans. 74 Counties have met, or are close to meeting, their recruitment goal for the November election. A review of all county data shows Ohio remains 6,037 poll workers short of the goal of recruiting 55,165 poll workers.

The county-level details can be seen on Ohio’s first-ever Poll Worker Tracker(opens in a new window), an innovative recruiting and accountability tool which has received national attention. The tracker continues to give Ohioans, counties, and partner organizations clear goals for poll worker recruitment for the November election.

As a percentage of their goal, these counties are furthest away from meeting the goal of poll workers set by Secretary LaRose: Ashland County, Hocking County, Pike County, Greene County, and Jackson County. By quantity, Summit County remains the furthest away from meeting their goal with 837 more poll workers needed.

Since the primary, the Secretary’s recruiting efforts, in conjunction with civic organizations Poll Hero and Power the Polls, have transmitted 148,838 poll worker referrals to county boards of elections for their consideration and training.

“Ohioans are voting in record numbers, and we expect that to continue through election day,” said LaRose. “Because of patriotic Ohioans who are stepping up in ways never seen before in support of our democracy, our state will be ready to staff the polls on November 3rd.”

In an effort to continue providing voters with unprecedented levels of transparency, Secretary LaRose is giving Ohioans weekly poll worker updates as reported by the 88 county boards of elections. Sharing the data also allows Ohio counties to be held accountable as the fall election approaches. This is the first time such information has been collected from the counties prior to an election.

Notable data are the following:
  • Goal for Committed and Trained Poll Workers: 55,525
  • Minimum Poll Workers Required: 37,015
  • Current Number of Committed Poll Workers: 51,918
  • Remaining Number of Poll Workers Needed to Meet Goal: 17,257
Poll worker recruitment efforts include:

Give a Day for Democracy
Partnering with businesses to offer employees the day off to be poll workers. Secretary LaRose announced this initiative with an event in Cincinnati -- Western & Southern Financial is allowing employees to work the polls with a paid day off and so are many other companies statewide. Click here to watch the video(opens in a new window).
Professionals Getting Education Credit to Serve
Lawyers for Liberty -- Attorneys will receive required continuing legal education credits for being a poll worker this year. Click here to read more(opens in a new window).
The Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) will now allow Ohio Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to obtain required Continuing Public Education (CPE) general credits for CPAs serving as poll workers in 2020. Click here to read about our partnership(opens in a new window).
The Ohio Real Estate Commission announced it will award three (3) hours of core law continuing education credit to active and inactive Ohio Real Estate Licensees who serve as a poll worker during the Nov. 3, 2020 election.
Styling for Democracy. NOW VOTE!
A partnership with barbershops and salons, and the schools that feed into them to recruit more poll workers.
Second Call to Duty
This initiative is asking veterans who took an oath to defend their country to defend democracy on November 3rd.
Work the Day, Share Your Pay
Poll workers can donate their earnings to a nonprofit or charity of their choice.
Youth at the Booth
In Ohio 17-year-old high school seniors can serve as poll workers! This is a great way to engage high school students in the voting process.
The Ohio State University Employees
OSU President Johnson announced that all university employees may receive a paid day off without using vacation time to be a poll worker this fall.
Recruitment materials and the form to sign up to serve as a poll worker can be found at VoteOhio.gov/DefendDemocracy(opens in a new window).

At PollWorkerTracker.OhioSoS.gov(opens in a new window),  you will find a breakdown of the following poll worker data:
  • The minimum number of poll workers required to run an election in the respective county, by total and by Party.
  • The goal number of poll worker commitments counties should target in order to compensate for any cancellations.
  • Remaining number of poll workers needed for each county to reach their goal.
In accordance with state law, the board of elections, by a majority vote, appoints four electors for each precinct who are residents of the county in which the precinct is located to serve as poll workers. Not more than one-half of the total number of poll workers assigned to a precinct may be members of the same political Party. Ohioans who are neither a Republican or Democrat may also serve as poll workers. Those individuals appear in the poll worker tracker in the “other” category.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
October 8, 2020

OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE PARTNERS WITH WALMART TO DISTRIBUTE PPE TO OHIO’S BOARDS OF ELECTIONS

COLUMBUS – Walmart has partnered with the Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to distribute necessary PPE to Ohio’s county boards of elections as they prepare to administer the upcoming election. 800,000 masks, 27,000 gowns, and 29,000 face shields were donated/purchased by Governor DeWine to help keep voters and poll workers safe.

Distributions were coordinated from Walmart’s Washington Courthouse Distribution Center.

“Businesses across Ohio have stepped up to make sure voters and election officials have the PPE they need to be ready this election day – and this is no exception. I appreciate Walmart’s work to help ensure voting will be safe in Ohio!” said LaRose.

“We build a better community when we all participate in our federal, state and local elections. Walmart encourages associates and customers to participate in the election process by helping to provide the tools and information they need to vote,” said Adam Becker, General Manager of the Walmart Distribution Facility in Washington C.H. “We are honored to help protect the health and safety of poll workers and voters throughout the state.”

Secretary LaRose previously issued the Ohio Voting Safety Plan to Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections, setting forth safety requirements for early and Election Day voting, as well as recommendations for voters, to run a safe and healthy election this fall. Other companies have donated masks(opens in a new window) and hand sanitizer(opens in a new window) this past month, with Ohio Department of Health distributing the sanitizer to the county boards.

Click here to read the full Ohio Voting Safety Plan (PDF)(opens in a new window).

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
October 5, 2020

LAROSE ISSUES DIRECTIVE ON ADDITIONAL OPTIONS TO RETURN ABSENTEE BALLOTS

COLUMBUS – Today, Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued Directive 2020-22(opens in a new window), making it clear that 1) every Ohio county board of elections may install more than one secure receptacle at their board for the return of absentee ballots, and 2) the board may station bipartisan election officials outside of county boards to accept absentee ballots.

As a result of LaRose’s two recent directives, all 88 county boards of elections are now required to accept absentee ballots 24/7 via secure receptacles at their office and election officials are able to collect completed absentee ballots outside of the county board of elections at convenient drive-through ballot drop offs. Ohio voters now have more options to return absentee ballots than ever before. These options are in addition to the most convenient and commonly used method for voters to return absentee ballots - by mail - which continues to be a safe and standard method for absentee voting. Additionally, voters may cast a vote early in-person or in-person on election day.

As has become all too clear in the recent litigation over secure receptacles (or “drop boxes”), what the General Assembly meant when it required in R.C. 3509.05 -- that if not mailed, absentee ballots must be personally delivered “to the director” and in no other manner -- must be clarified by the legislature. Secretary LaRose will ask the legislature to partner with him when the next General Assembly begins its term in January to provide the necessary clarity.

On October 2nd, David Becker, a noted and respected elections expert stated the following:


 
According to the Center for Election Innovation & Research website, Becker is the Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research. Prior to CEIR, he served as Director of the elections program at The Pew Charitable Trusts, driving reforms in election administration, including using technology to provide voters with information they need to cast a ballot; assessing election performance through better data; and upgrading voter registration systems. Before Pew, he served for seven years as a senior trial attorney in the Voting Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where he led numerous investigations into violations of federal voting laws regarding redistricting, minority voting rights, voter intimidation, and vote dilution.

“Tomorrow, absentee ballots will begin being mailed out to over 2 million Ohioans who requested them and voting starts at 88 early voting locations across the state in what will be the most accessible election in state history,” said LaRose. “Despite predictable partisan politics that attempt to create phony crises, we have kept our eye on the ball and Ohio’s election officials are ready to administer a safe, secure, and accurate election.“

Just as Ohio is a clear leader in early voting with 216 hours including evenings and weekends, Ohio is also a national model for absentee voting. Of the 42 states that run a traditional absentee voting system, a comprehensive review by the Brookings Institute determined no state does it better than Ohio.
SOURCE: www.brookings.edu/research/voting-by-mail-in-a-pandemic-a-state-by-state-scorecard/(opens in a new window)

More than 2 million Ohioans have requested an absentee ballot – putting Ohio on pace to more than double the number of ballots cast by mail in 2016. Election mail is expected to be efficiently and effectively transported to county boards of elections. Ohio law allows boards of elections to receive ballots up to ten days after the election as long as they are postmarked by November 2nd. The United States Postal Service has committed to implementing the following protocols at the urging of Secretary LaRose:
  • USPS will institute “all clear” processes at each sorting facility to ensure all election mail is processed each day.
  • Staff will recheck collection bins each day to ensure late arriving ballots are retrieved.
  • USPS will set up hand-to-hand delivery for election mail as it makes its way through processing on the Saturday prior to Election Day, from the board of elections to the distribution center.
  • Postal facilities will track election mail deliveries to Ohio’s boards of elections
  • Election mail will not be routed through the Detroit Regional Distribution Center. Instead it will be kept in-state.
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Ready for November Task Force

About the Ready for November Task Force

The mission of the task force is to provide updates from the field on the challenges and needs of our county boards of elections to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in the fall, and how the state can help support their efforts. The task force will meet several times over the coming months and will;
  •     Provide updates on how counties are preparing for November,
  •     Hear from a variety of experts,
  •     Learn from county elections administrators and what their needs and requirements are,
  •     Consider and disseminate best practices, and
  •     Receive information about the evolving health situation.
Scheduled Meetings of the Ready for November Task Force

    October 2, 2020
    September 10, 2020
    September 3, 2020
    August 20, 2020
    August 13, 2020
    August 6, 2020
    July 23, 2020
    July 14, 2020
    July 9, 2020
    July 2, 2020
    June 16, 2020
    June 9, 2020
    June 2, 2020
 
Task Force Members
  •     Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
  •     Michelle Wilcox, President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Auglaize County Board of Elections (D)
  •     Rob Frost, Immediate Past President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Board Member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (R)
  •     Lisa Welch, First Vice President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Holmes County Board of Elections (R)
  •     Brian Sleeth, Second Vice President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Warren County Board of Elections (D)

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
September 14, 2020

LAROSE ISSUES STATEMENT ON OHIO CONTROLLING BOARD DECISION NOT TO ALLOW PAID POSTAGE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS

COLUMBUS – Today Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued the following statement:

“Ohio has a sound elections system, but today was another missed opportunity by the legislature to make a small change, without an impact on our state budget, that would yield a big improvement. Ohio voters have 216 hours to vote early in person from October 6 through November 2, 13 hours to vote on Election Day, or they can request an absentee ballot by mail and it will be sent to them beginning October 6. Make a plan. Don’t procrastinate. Make sure your voice is heard.”

BACKGROUND:

Postage Paid Was Supported by Bipartisan Election Officials:

The Ohio Association of Election Officials supported Secretary LaRose’s plan as presented today to pay for postage for absentee ballots.

To read the letter of support, click here (PDF)(opens in a new window).

Ohio’s Elections System is Resilient, Sound, and Strong:

“…a recent report by the nonpartisan Brookings Institution graded Ohio seventh nationally on their vote-by-mail pandemic preparedness, trailing only the six states who already have full vote-at-home systems.”

SOURCE:
www.cleveland.com/opinion/2020/08/ohio-and-frank-larose-lead-the-nation-in-voting-by-mail-tyler-fisher-and-marc-hyden.html(opens in a new window)
www.brookings.edu/research/voting-by-mail-in-a-pandemic-a-state-by-state-scorecard/(opens in a new window)

With 216 hours of early voting available to registered Ohioans, Ohio ranks ahead of 43 other states. We’re one of 20 states with voting on Saturdays and one of just five that allow voting on Sunday.

In the Spring, the Ohio Legislature Approved Funding for Postage on Absentee Ballots

House Bill 197, as passed by the Ohio General Assembly: “When the board delivers those ballots by mail, it shall prepay the return postage for the ballots.”

SOURCE:
www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-documents?id=GA133-HB-197(opens in a new window)

The Secretary of State Refuses Democrat Call to Defund County Boards of Elections to Pay for Postage on Absentee Ballots

Ohio Democrats have stated that Secretary LaRose could utilize already authorized CARES dollars to pay for postage on absentee ballots. In response, please see the following segment of a recent letter to congressional Democrats:

“As a reminder, at the Controlling Board meeting on June 15, I sought and received approval to spend the $12.8 million that Congress sent to Ohio for elections related expenses through the CARES Act.

[…]

“…almost all of the CARES dollars, nearly $11 million, were provided to our county boards of elections. Of the remaining CARES dollars, my office spent the vast majority – roughly $1.5 million – to send an absentee ballot request to every eligible voter. The minimal remaining unencumbered balance is not nearly sufficient to pay for statewide return postage and is needed to provide our county boards of elections a safety net for unforeseen emergency purchases to carry out safe, secure, and accurate elections this fall.

Ohio’s county boards of elections desperately need and are already using the CARES dollars to hire additional staff, acquire necessary election infrastructure like mail processing equipment, and purchase personal protective equipment for their staff, poll workers, and voters. The suggestion that I take those resources away from
the county boards of elections and use them to pay for the return postage on absentee ballots, especially when the resources exist within my office’s business services budget to do just that, simply does not make sense.”

The full letter may be read by clicking here (PDF)(opens in a new window).

Time is Up

Secretary LaRose first asked the General Assembly to pay the postage on return ballots for this November’s Election on May 6, and initially went to the Controlling Board on August 24. With today’s decision and because of the logistical deadlines of the USPS to obtain stamps and allow time for them to be applied to absentee ballots, this was the latest realistic opportunity for the legislature to act on this request. The United States Postal Service as well as a major contractor of our county boards of elections have communicated to our office that three weeks were necessary to ensure ballots sent on October 6th would have postage applied.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
September 1, 2020

LAROSE RELEASES OHIO'S FIRST-EVER POLL WORKER TRACKER

COLUMBUS – Each election, thousands of Ohioans dedicate themselves to sustaining the backbone of democracy—our election process. Poll workers help ensure that our elections are fair, and in doing so, maintain the traditions of our past and our hope for the future.

In an effort to continue providing voters with unprecedented levels of transparency, Secretary LaRose is providing Ohioans with weekly poll worker updates as reported by the 88 county boards of elections. Sharing the data also allows Ohio counties to be held accountable as the fall election approaches. This is the first time such information has been collected from the counties prior to an election.

Data from our county boards of elections indicates that while Ohio counties are very close to meeting the very minimum required to run the election, many more poll workers are needed in order to account for potential cancellations and no-shows.
  • Goal for Committed and Trained Poll Workers: 55,588
  • Minimum Poll Workers Required: 37,057
  • Current Number of Committed Poll Workers: 33,577
  • Remaining Number of Poll Workers Needed to Meet Goal: 26,635
“While our innovative recruitment campaigns appear to have put Ohio in a far better position than other states, we still have a long way to go,” said LaRose. “We still need more patriotic Ohioans to step up and serve our state as poll workers.”

Over the summer, Secretary LaRose has kickstarted a number of poll worker recruitment efforts.

Give a Day for Democracy
Partnering with businesses to offer employees the day off to be poll workers. Secretary LaRose announced this initiative with an event in Cincinnati -- Western & Southern Financial is allowing employees to work the polls with a paid day off and so are many other companies statewide. Click here to watch the video.(opens in a new window):
Professionals Getting Education Credit to Serve
Lawyers for Liberty -- Attorneys will receive required continuing legal education credits for being a poll worker this year. Click here to read more(opens in a new window).
The Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) will now allow Ohio Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to obtain required Continuing Public Education (CPE) general credits for CPAs serving as poll workers in 2020. Click here to read about our partnership(opens in a new window).
Second Call to Duty
This initiative is asking veterans who took an oath to defend their country to defend democracy on November 3rd.
Work the Day, Share Your Pay
Poll workers can donate their earnings to a nonprofit or charity of their choice.
Youth at the Booth
In Ohio 17-year-old high school seniors can serve as poll workers! This is a great way to engage high school students in the voting process.
Recruitment materials and the form to sign up to serve as a poll worker can be found at VoteOhio.gov/DefendDemocracy(opens in a new window).

At PollWorkerTracker.OhioSoS.gov(opens in a new window), you will find a breakdown of the following poll worker data:

  • The minimum number of poll workers required to run an election in the respective county, by total and by Party.
  • The goal number of poll worker commitments counties should target in order to compensate for any cancellations.
  • Remaining number of poll workers needed for each county to reach their goal.
In accordance with state law, the board of elections, by a majority vote, appoints four electors for each precinct who are residents of the county in which the precinct is located to serve as poll workers. Not more than one-half of the total number of poll workers assigned to a precinct may be members of the same political Party. Ohioans who are neither a Republican or Democrat may also serve as poll workers. Those individuals appear in the poll worker tracker in the “other” category.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
September 1, 2020

SECRETARY OF STATE'S ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORMS BEGIN ARRIVING IN MAILBOXES

COLUMBUS – Earlier this summer, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced every registered Ohio voter would receive an absentee ballot request form in the mail. Those request forms are arriving in mailboxes this week – one week ahead of schedule.

Ohioans who want to vote by absentee ballot must send their request form back to their county board of elections in order to receive an absentee ballot. In the absentee ballot request instructions, Secretary LaRose has recommended voters submit their request right away, but definitely no later than October 27th. Absentee ballots will be sent by the voter’s respective county board of elections beginning October 6th.

“Whether you’re voting on election day, early in-person, or taking advantage of the absentee request form arriving this week in your mailbox, Ohioans should know voting will be safe and secure in Ohio,” said LaRose. “With the convenience of voting from home comes a responsibility – don’t wait to make your voice heard. Get your ballot request form in the mail as soon as you can.”

By getting their ballot request forms in early, voters will ease the burden on both county boards of elections staff who are expecting a significant influx of election mail, as well as the postal workers in their community who are working to make sure it’s delivered on time.

TELEVISION NEWS: Click here for B-Roll from the print shop in Hebron, Ohio where the printing was completed.(opens in a new window)

ALL MEDIA: Click here for an image of the envelope, voter instructions, and absentee ballot form that registered voters will receive (PDF)(opens in a new window).

The first round of the mailing included voters currently registered in the state of Ohio. There will be two more rounds of forms still to be mailed to Ohioans who register to vote through the October 5th registration deadline. The current estimated cost of the mailing is $1.1 million and is funded by federal CARES dollars.

Sharing Best Practices for Voters to Consider When Using the Absentee Ballot Option
  • Doublecheck the information on your form. Review your ballot request and ballot to ensure you have filled it out properly, including writing the appropriate date, providing your required identifying information, and signing the form.
  • Include your e-mail and/or phone number. For the first time in a general election, county board of elections will be calling or e-mailing voters who may need to remedy information on their ballot request form or absentee ballot envelope. Including your information will ensure you can be reached if your ballot request doesn’t have everything filled out properly.
  • Don’t wait. To accommodate necessary processing time at the county board of elections and the time required for the United States Postal Service to deliver elections mail, voters should not procrastinate – fill out and mail your absentee ballot request as soon as possible.
  • Track your ballot. Once their ballot request is received by their county board of elections, voters may track their ballot at VoteOhio.gov/Track. As long as your ballot is postmarked by the day before the election and received within 10 days after the election at your county board of elections, your vote will be tabulated.
Absentee voting in Ohio is time-tested and has strong security checks in place.
Ohioans have utilized absentee voting for nearly two decades, and that has allowed Ohio to put in place both the laws and processes necessary to make absentee voting secure against fraud.
  • Voter identification and signature are checked TWICE during the process
  • Voter list maintenance allows for accurate voter rolls
  • Ballot harvesting is against the law in Ohio
  • Voters are able to track their ballot on VoteOhio.gov/Track(opens in a new window)
These requirements and processes, as well as strict laws against voter fraud, have made absentee voting secure in Ohio and instances of voter fraud exceedingly rare.

Making it easy to request your absentee ballot
Since 2012, Ohio has mailed absentee ballot request forms to registered voters in every even-year general election. Only after that application is verified by the bipartisan teams at a county board of elections is a ballot mailed to a voter.

Other interesting facts about this mailing

  • Last week Secretary LaRose visited with the Ohioans who were producing this mailing. Click here to see the video(opens in a new window).
  • Our office is using informed delivery through USPS as another way to get the word out
  • The mailing required 17 full-length tractor trailers to deliver to the USPS
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 31, 2020

SECRETARY LAROSE LAUNCHES "STYLING FOR DEMOCRACY. NOW VOTE!"

COLUMBUS – For generations, beauty salons and barbershops have served as special places in neighborhoods of color – as much a social hub as they are an economic engine. They are places not only to get hair care services, but sanctuaries where neighbors can discuss politics and the issues of importance in the community.

Today, Secretary LaRose launched Styling for Democracy. Now Vote! - a partnership with barbershops and salons, and the schools that feed into them. The partnership is designed to encourage members of their community to sign up to be a poll worker on November 3rd, register their family and friends to vote, and educate the community on requesting and completing absentee ballots.

"Barbershop, beauty salons -- these are the centers of the communities in neighborhoods all throughout Ohio,” said LaRose. “If people are going to gather at a barbershop and have a political conversation, the next step is getting registered to vote; and if you really want to take it to the next level, sign up to be a poll worker so that your neighbors can have a free and fair election.”

So far, Secretary LaRose’s team has partnered with 25 barber colleges and salon schools. Resources will be sent to the 110 barber and salon schools across the state. Barbershops and salons looking to partner with Secretary LaRose may contact Zack Reed at ZReed@OhioSoS.gov.

Click here to watch the kick-off event.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 21, 2020

LAROSE WORKING TO GET 110,448 ELIGIBLE BUT UNREGISTERED OHIOANS READY TO VOTE THIS NOVEMBER

COLUMBUS – Once again, in an effort to ensure every eligible voter gets registered and can make their voice heard, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is sending information about how to get registered to 110,448 Ohioans who are eligible to vote but aren’t yet registered.

This initiative is in coordination with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a non-profit organization who assists participating states in the effort to improve the accuracy of their voter rolls and increase access to voter registration. 30 states and Washington, D.C. are members of ERIC.

As a part of this partnership, ERIC and their participating states work to identify eligible citizens who were found on the motor vehicle database, but who are not registered to vote and have never received a similar mailing previously, to receive a postcard that informs them how to get themselves registered.

“We’re working hard to give every Ohioan an opportunity to cast a ballot this fall and beyond,” said LaRose. “We’ll leave no stone unturned in our goal to maximize voter participation because we know that Ohio is stronger when every voice can be heard at the ballot box.”

Based on the data provided by the BMV, 85,054 Ohioans who are 21 or under will receive the voter registration outreach postcard. This effort ensures those young Ohioans have every opportunity to register to vote prior to the November election.

The deadline to register to vote in the November general election is October 5th. Ohioans can register or update their registration by visiting VoteOhio.gov(opens in a new window).

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 18, 2020

LAROSE PROPOSES INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO PAY POSTAGE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS

COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is requesting the authority from the Ohio Controlling Board to use funds from the Business Services Division fund within the Secretary’s office to pay for postage on all absentee ballots.

In May, following the Ohio primary, Secretary of State Frank LaRose made a number of recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly that required legislative action to ensure a successful General Election. Among those was the utilization of state GRF funding to pay for the postage on absentee ballots. While no action was taken on that proposal, Secretary LaRose has subsequently stated his support for utilizing any potential forthcoming additional federal funding to pay for postage, pending authorization from the Ohio Controlling Board. While Washington continues to debate providing that additional funding to states, Secretary LaRose is moving forward with this proposal to ensure postage is paid for all Ohioans choosing to vote by absentee.

“If the controlling board approves our request, they will effectively be making every mailbox a drop box for millions of Ohioans, making it easier than ever to cast a ballot in a general election,” said LaRose. “No state GRF or federal funds will be used to pay for it; instead, we’re ready to take it out of my office’s own budget to get it done.” 

The request being made to the Ohio Controlling Board asks for up to $3 million in funds from the Secretary of State’s Fund 5990, the fund where revenue from the Business Services Division within the Secretary’s office is located. In 2016, 1.2 million Ohioans cast their absentee ballot by mail. Secretary LaRose has told Ohio’s county boards of elections to prepare for that number to double. While costs of the delivery of absentee mail vary by county, total costs of postage are not expected to exceed $2 million. 

The Ohio Controlling Board provides legislative oversight over certain capital and operating expenditures by state agencies. It consists of seven members: the Director of the Office of Budget and Management or an employee of the Office of Budget and Management designated by the Director, the Chairs of the Senate and House Finance Committees, a majority member appointed from both the Senate and the House, and a minority member appointed from both the Senate and the House.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 18, 2020

RB SIGMA, LCC DONATING 463,500 SURGICAL MASKS TO OHIO'S COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

COLUMBUS – Today, RB Sigma LLC announced a partnership with the Ohio Secretary of State to donate 463,500 surgical masks to help keep voters and poll workers safe. In accordance with Governor DeWine’s statewide mask mandate, all Ohioans are required to wear a mask at polling locations. In support of that requirement and to ease the burden on election officials preparing for the November election, this donation from RB Sigma, LLC will be a massive help to Ohio’s county boards of elections.

The masks will be delivered to every county board of elections between August 28 and September 2. All masks are produced at RB Sigma, LLC facility in Mentor.

"We are good at manufacturing things here in this state. We make things that supply the world. That resiliency is what sets Ohio apart from everyone else," said Secretary LaRose. "No Ohioan should be afraid to come vote and the skilled Ohioans at RB Sigma are reassuring every Ohio voter by supplying these masks for voters and poll workers to use for our month of early voting and on election day.”
[photos]


Left to right: John Eklund, State Senator (R-Munson Township), Dave Joyce, U.S. Congressman (OH-14), Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State, Justin Bloyd, President of RB Sigma, LLC, and Dale Fellows, Chairman of the Lake County Board of Elections.

“I was honored to join Secretary of State Frank LaRose, State Senator John Eklund and Lake County Election Board Chairman Dale Fellows for this important announcement and applaud RB Sigma for stepping up to help keep our communities healthy during this pandemic,” said Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14). “This critical partnership will help ensure our election officials have what they need to safely assist Ohioans in exercising their right to vote during these unprecedented times. Over the last several months, local manufacturers like RB Sigma have worked around the clock to produce and deliver essential PPE supplies across Ohio, helping us build up our domestic manufacturing base and reduce our dangerous reliance on China. Just like our medical professionals, these manufacturers are unsung heroes on the front lines of this crisis and I will continue to do everything I can at the federal level to ensure they continue to have the resources necessary to keep up their life-saving efforts.”

“RB Sigma is a company that has truly pivoted to manufacturing critical N95 and Surgical masks during the Pandemic. I feel that is my company's role to provide as many masks as possible to those that need them," said Justin Bloyd, President of RB Sigma, LLC. "We are honored to partner with the Secretary of State’s office to distribute 462,000 Surgical masks so that poll workers may remain safe as they volunteer their time during the November election.”

In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health, Secretary of State LaRose recently issued the Ohio Voting Safety Plan to our state’s 88 county boards of elections. The 48-point plan sets forth requirements for boards of elections, as well as recommendations for voters, for how to run a safe and healthy election this fall.

While many state legislatures and policy makers are grappling with finding ways to provide the multiple voting options recommended by the CDC, Ohio finds itself in the fortunate position of needing only small changes to improve the already safe, secure, and accessible elections system that we have in place. Ohio has long offered three different ways to vote: by mail; early in-person during the four weeks preceding Election Day, including evenings and weekends; and in-person on Election Day.

Click here to read the full Ohio Voting Safety Plan.(opens in a new window)

Click here to watch the event.(opens in a new window)

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 12, 2020

LAROSE SENDS 48-POINT GUIDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNTY BOARDS

COLUMBUS – In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health, Secretary of State LaRose issued the Ohio Voting Safety Plan to our state’s 88 county boards of elections. The 48-point plan sets forth requirements for boards of elections, as well as recommendations for voters, for how to run a safe and healthy election this fall.

While many state legislatures and policy makers are grappling with finding ways to provide the multiple voting options recommended by the CDC, Ohio finds itself in the fortunate position of needing only small changes to improve the already safe, secure, and accessible elections system that we have in place. Ohio has long offered three different ways to vote: by mail; early in-person during the four weeks preceding Election Day, including evenings and weekends; and in-person on Election Day.

Additionally, boards of elections provide curbside voting and have a secure drop box at every board of elections for voters who do not want to enter the board office or a polling location. Further, the Secretary of State’s Office required boards of elections to move polling locations out of facilities that serve vulnerable populations. Therefore, Ohio already meets the CDC’s lower risk election polling location recommendations.

The Ohio Voting Safety Plan sets in place guidance that will enhance the ability of county boards of elections to keep their voters and election officials safe. The plan sets in place 48 points that include the following:

  • Routine cleaning of voting machines and e-pollbooks
  • Mask requirements and regular hand washing for all poll workers
  • Social distancing recommendations
  • Making curbside voting available
All voters will be encouraged to wear a mask, just as the vast majority of Ohioans do at the grocery store or a restaurant. It’s important to note that while the Secretary of State may put requirements in place for election officials, no one can or should be able to prevent electors from casting their ballot, even if the elector chooses not to follow the recommendations in place to protect poll workers and other voters. In addition to opportunities to vote early by mail and early in-person, voters choosing to cast their ballot on election day will have the option to vote curbside if they are physically unable to enter a polling location.

You can read the full Ohio Voting Safety Plan by clicking here.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
August 7, 2020

LAROSE ISSUES REGISTRATION READINESS DIRECTIVE

COLUMBUS – In accordance with his duty as Ohio Secretary of State and following both federal and state law, Secretary LaRose has issued a directive to implement voter list maintenance. The US Supreme Court upheld the law as carried out by Secretaries Brown, Blackwell, Taft, Brunner, and Husted, but no previous Ohio Secretary of State has ever undertaken the level of outreach that Secretary LaRose is doing in 2020. 

Under this process, no registration will be cancelled prior to the November 3, 2020 General Election. Any individual who appears on the Registration Readiness list and votes in the fall election or engages in any voter activity will not have their registration cancelled.

In 2016, the previous administration issued Directives 2016-17 and 2016-20 directing boards to send confirmation notices to those registrations that have been inactive for previous two years or appear on the National Change of Address (NCOA) List, ordering local boards of elections to mail notices to electors who have been inactive for two years in order to confirm their status as a registered voter. The 2016 confirmation notices sent pursuant to the Supplemental and NCOA processes began the forward-looking four-year clock for the registration to engage in voter activity.

“It is my duty to follow the law and this process is required to happen this year, but what we did is find a creative way to make it is as accurate as possible and encourage people to become active voters again,” said LaRose. “All you need to do is vote this November. Whether it’s casting your absentee ballot, voting early at your county board of elections, or in-person on election day – we want you to make your voice heard.”

Secretary LaRose’s directive requires local boards of elections to contact identified registrants and then remove those registrations who do not do at least one of the following:
  • Respond to the 2016 confirmation notices from the county board of elections;
  • Vote in the November 3, 2020 election;
  • Request an absentee ballot application;
  • Update or confirm their address;
  • Update their registration;
  • Do not respond to the forthcoming mailing advising them of their pending cancellation
WHY WON’T ANY REGISTRATION THAT IS PART OF THIS PROCESS BE CANCELLED BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTION?
Consistent with the law, Secretary LaRose is prohibiting the boards of elections from removing any registration prior to the November 3, 2020 General Election.

HOW IS REGISTRATION READINESS DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS?
First, registrants will have more time than ever before to update their registration, confirm their registration, vote, or take any other action that will shift their registration status to active. Second, prior to issuing Directive 2020-14, Secretary LaRose’s office worked with boards and their vendors to vet a preliminary list of registrations identified as potential candidates for placement on the Registration Readiness list. In doing so, 1,342 registrations have already been placed on a “do not cancel list” because of inconsistencies found in the registrations due to human error or computer system error.

HOW MANY REGISTRATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE LIST?
The preliminary list of registrations provided by the counties included approximately 119,000 registrations. However, it is expected that the size of this list when registrations are officially submitted by counties will be fewer due to voter activity or other actions that shift a registration off the rolls such as moving out of state or death.

WILL THE REGISTRATION READINESS LIST BE SHARED WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS?
Continuing his commitment to unprecedented transparency, Secretary LaRose will collect the registrations provided by the counties and upload them onto our website for anyone to review or download. Additionally, we look to continue our collaboration with outside organizations in an effort to 1) reach out to registrants and update their registration, and 2) utilize organizational expertise to collectively vet the list for accuracy.

ARE ERRORS EXPECTED TO BE FOUND?
There are 7.8 million voter registrations in Ohio that are overseen by 88 different county boards of elections which utilize five different private vendors, each with different computer systems, to help manage their systems. Errors are going to happen. That’s exactly why Secretary LaRose has adopted a policy of transparency to ensure that this lawfully required duty is completed as accurately as possible.

WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW?
August 21, 2020 – County Boards of Elections must upload a spreadsheet containing the county number, county name, state voter ID, reason for active-confirmation status, registration date, last voted date, first name, last name, address, and voter status of each registration that meets the required criteria. This data will be reviewed and uploaded to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website as soon as possible following this deadline.

September 4, 2020 – County Boards of Elections must mail their Registration Readiness Notice to identified registrants by this date. This notice will inform the registrant that they may be cancelled after the November General Election unless they take action.

November 3, 2020 – If any previously identified registrant votes in the 2020 General Election, that registrant will not be cancelled. These registrants could also avoid cancellation by updating or confirming their address, updating their registration, or responding to the Registration Readiness Notice.

December 7, 2020 – In order to provide enough time to thoroughly review voting records after the completion of the General Election and pursuant to election law, no cancellations will take place before December 7, 2020.

ISN’T THERE A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE VOTER REGISTRATION IN OHIO?
Ohio is one of just six states which continue to operate a bottom-up voter registration system, where all voter registration data is collected and processed at the local level. Secretary LaRose has called for Ohio to consider a top-down voter registration system to streamline the process and allow for less error to occur.

WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE WHO IS CANCELLED AFTER THIS YEAR’S ELECTION WANTS TO VOTE NEXT YEAR?
Any qualified Ohioan may register to vote.

WHAT DOES THE LAW STATE ABOUT THE VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT?
The voter list maintenance process is required by both state and federal law. As part of the supplemental process, registrants who have been inactive for six years, or at least 12 elections, and failed to respond to a confirmation notice, must be removed from the voter rolls. Additionally, the NCOA process is also required by state and federal law. The upcoming voter list maintenance process is required because the previous administration issued confirmation notices for both in July and August 2016.

The law states the following:

codes.ohio.gov/orc/3503.21(opens in a new window)

(A) The registration of a registered elector shall be canceled upon the occurrence of any of the following:

(6) The change of residence of the registered elector to a location outside the county of registration in accordance with division (B) of this section;

(7) The failure of the registered elector, after having been mailed a confirmation notice, to do either of the following:

(a) Respond to such a notice and vote at least once during a period of four consecutive years, which period shall include two general federal elections;

(b) Update the elector's registration and vote at least once during a period of four consecutive years, which period shall include two general federal elections.

(B) (1) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to identify and cancel the registration in a prior county of residence of any registrant who changes the registrant’s voting residence to a location outside the registrant’s current county of registration. Any procedures prescribed in this division shall be uniform and nondiscriminatory, and shall comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The secretary of state may prescribe procedures under this division that include the use of the national change of address service provided by the United States postal system through its licensees. Any program so prescribed shall be completed not later than ninety days prior to the date of any primary or general election for federal office.

The United States Supreme Court has upheld this process as lawful(opens in a new window).

ARE THERE ANY SAFEGUARDS FOR ABANDONED REGISTRATIONS?
Per a settlement with the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), an exception will continue that allows any person whose registration was previously cancelled pursuant to the Supplemental Process and who continues to reside in the same county in which their registration was cancelled to cast a provisional ballot. If that provisional ballot complies with all the requirements to cast and count a provisional ballot, then any such vote will be counted and result in the person’s registration being restored. More information can be found by clicking here(opens in a new window).

Andre Washington, President of APRI, also stated the following about Secretary LaRose at a meeting of the Ohio NAACP on September 13th, 2019:

“When you came into office, you said ‘I’m going to sit down and we’re going to work this out’. We didn’t get everything we wanted. They didn’t get everything they wanted, but guess what, all Ohioans won. And that was the main thing. It wasn’t about the Secretary of State’s office. It wasn’t about the A. Philip Randolph Institute. It was all about Ohio, and I am so glad we have a Secretary of State that said it’s about Ohioans. I’m so glad that we have a Secretary of State that said ‘I’m going to work with each and every one of these organizations because it’s not about me, it’s not about my Party, it’s about Ohio’, and I thank you, I thank you.”

Video of this statement by clicking here(opens in a new window).

Click here to view Directive 2020-14(opens in a new window)

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
July 15, 2020

LAROSE LAUNCHES RAISE A GLASS TO DEMOCRACY STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN

COLUMBUS – Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a new statewide voter registration campaign called Raise a Glass to Democracy. More than thirty breweries statewide are partnering with the Secretary of State to boost civic engagement.

“It is widely thought that many of the ideas for the American Revolution began in pubs with people getting together and talking about how they didn’t want to be under the oppression of the monarch anymore. The idea of democracy going together with beer drinking is very compatible,” said LaRose. “You can have your opinion, state you opinion, you can share it on social media, or you can go to public demonstrations, but unless you register and vote you are missing an important part of the civic process.”



Registering to vote is easy in Ohio. In 2015 as an Ohio State Senator, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose introduced legislation that would allow eligible Ohioans to register to vote online. That bill became law in 2016 and so far this year hundreds of thousands of Ohioans have gone online to register to vote or update their registration.To register online at VoteOhio.gov, Ohioans will need to provide their Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, name, date of birth, address, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. By law, Ohioans must register or update their voter registration no later than 30 days prior to an election. The registration deadline for the November 3rd General Election is October 5, 2020.

Younger voters are less likely to be registered or participate in an election. Just as in 2016, it is expected that older adults are more likely to turn out to vote this fall. Ohio is stronger when all of our voices are heard from every generation. To help bridge this gap, we have asked businesses that have a unique capability to reach younger Ohioans to partner with the Secretary of State’s office to increase the number of registered Ohio voters. According to the Harris Poll/Nielsen, more than half of 21- to 44-year-olds have said they drink craft beer.



Craft Breweries are stepping up to make a difference. The Raise a Glass to Democracy voter registration campaign began as a brainstorm between the Secretary of State’s office and Rhinegeist Brewery. With their creative support, more than 30 Ohio breweries have signed up to create a beer using a universal label designed to encourage civic engagement and boost voter registration. Most breweries are expected to have their beers ready for sale at their respective locations by early September, well ahead of the October 5th registration deadline. The label promotes the VoteOhio.gov website while also allowing each brewer to include their own branding.

OUTCOME: Partnering with craft breweries, an important representation of Ohio small business, will not only expand outreach on our message of voter registration and updating current registration information, but will also help brewery owners and employees weather the current COVID storm that many small businesses are facing.

Click here to watch our kick off event!(opens in a new window)



Statewide Brewery Partners
We currently have more than thirty breweries partnering with Secretary LaRose statewide to boost civic engagement.


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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
July 14, 2020

LAROSE SETTING NEW STANDARD FOR ELECTION SECURITY

COLUMBUS - Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued Directive 2020-12 to the state’s 88 county boards of elections. The 2020 Election Security & Accessibility Directive details how counties must utilize federal dollars to strengthen their election security and accessibility for disabled voters in preparation for the upcoming general election. Ohio’s share of federal HAVA funds designated for the 2020 election is $13,657,222. This builds on last week’s directive where the Secretary allocated $11.2 million in federal funding directly to the county boards for pandemic preparedness. These two actions combined result in $24.8 million being pushed out directly to the front lines, Ohio’s bipartisan boards of elections, so that they can be ready for November.

“Our efforts last year already made Ohio a national leader in election security, but we need to keep our foot on the gas,” said LaRose. “This order empowers our county boards of elections with technological enhancements that will set a new standard for election security.”

Included in the 2020 Election Security & Accessibility Directive are the following:

Adding AI to Strengthen Cybersecurity. New software called Endpoint Detection and Response is going to be installed in all 88 county boards of elections at no cost to them. The Artificial Intelligence software looks at known bad behavior and characteristics of malicious actors versus looking only for bad files like traditional anti-virus software. It allows first responders to contain an infected machine remotely instead of having to be onsite. Lastly, it gives responders the ability to analyze the system remotely and assess it for other potential nefarious activity. This new software can either complement or substitute current software used by a county board of elections.

Cybersecurity Experts on Call. Secretary LaRose recognizes not all county boards of elections have the resources to employ individuals with the expertise necessary to implement some of the advancements required of a security county board. With that in mind, Secretary LaRose will be providing counties with an assigned Cybersecurity expert that will assist boards and local IT support with tools, software or hardware integration, software and patch management support, network analysis review, incident response planning and exercising; tier one incident management forensic collection support, and general engineering technical assistance. Those counties who do have full time cybersecurity personnel will also find this additional help beneficial as they seek to augment ongoing efforts at the local level to provide even more robust protection.

Network Intrusion Detection. Last year, the Secretary required county boards of elections to install Albert Intrusion Detection Monitoring hardware, designed to detect any suspicious cyber-activity. The Secretary of State’s office is now extending funding for monitoring of these devices through 2022. 

New Efforts to Block Malicious Websites. The Secretary of State’s Office is providing county boards of elections with a malicious domain blocking service. This service will block access to malicious websites, help stop malware from connecting to known command-and-control infrastructure, and compliment the intrusion detection services currently provided. Each board of elections must begin using this malicious domain blocking service by August 28, 2020.

Continued Information Sharing with Federal, State, and Local Partners. One reason Ohio has become a national leader in election security is our comprehensive partnership with the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). Active and continued participation provides county boards of elections with timely and actionable information regarding threats to the county’s election information systems. County boards are required to continue their active membership to EI-ISAC.

Keeping Background Checks Updated. All permanent board of elections employees, vendors, or contractors who perform sensitive services for the board of elections are required to have an Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (“BCI”) statewide criminal background check conducted, at a minimum, every ten years.

Emergency Preparedness. Challenges, whether natural or human-caused, will inevitably occur on Election Day or during the early voting period. Contingency plans are required as part of the county Election Administration Plans to ensure boards are prepared for any incident that could occur on Election Day or during the early voting period. By August 28, 2020, each board of elections must collaborate with t its County Emergency Management Agency and Sheriff’s Office to review emergency contingency plans. These contingency plans should appropriately address natural and human-caused disasters that could occur at the board of elections, early voting center, or any polling location in the county.

Accessible Drop Boxes. Ballot drop boxes must be accessible to people with disabilities to approach, maneuver, and reach any operable parts to drop off any election-related documents independently.

Making County Boards of Elections Websites Accessible to People with Disabilities. Each county boards of elections must have their sample ballots, voter look-up, and contact forms evaluated by a web accessibility evaluation tool to ensure they conform to tools used by people with disabilities to view a website.

Click here to read the entire 2020 Election Security & Accessibility Directive.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
July 6, 2020

LAROSE SENDS READY FOR NOVEMBER PLAN TO 88 COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS

COLUMBUS – Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued Directive 2020-11 to the state’s 88 county boards of elections. The Ready for November Directive details how counties must utilize federal dollars to improve their election infrastructure, hire temporary personnel, enhance their supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), and recruit poll workers. Ohio’s share of federal CARES Act funds designated for the 2020 election is $12,861,311. Notably, 87% of Ohio’s federal dollars will be sent directly to the county boards of elections in support of their efforts to run a safe, secure, and accurate election.

“Over the past several months, we’ve been working with bipartisan election officials across Ohio as well as election experts & advocates to make our state ready for November,” said LaRose. “While we certainly have many challenges ahead of us, this plan puts us on a path to ensure Ohio voters will be confident that their voice was heard on November 3rd.”

Specifically, the Ready for November Directive provides required guidance on the following:

Recruiting More Poll Workers. For county boards of elections to be able to open the appropriate number of polling locations on Election Day, they must first recruit and train enough poll workers to satisfy the minimum required by state law to operate a precinct. Traditionally, Ohio utilizes over 35,000 poll workers on Election Day. Because of the current pandemic, fewer poll workers are expected to sign up or show up on Election Day. In light of this anticipated shortage, unprecedented efforts must be made to recruit new poll workers and backups. Additionally, Boards must prepare and plan for the possibility of poll worker shortages and the contingencies necessary should that situation arise. By August 1, 2020, county boards of elections must send a survey to every poll worker who served previously within the last three years or who indicated to the board their interest in serving in the 2020 primary election. This is a significant advance of the traditional timeline utilized by county boards of elections to begin poll worker recruitment preparations.

More Election Infrastructure. To better manage the expected increase in absentee voting, counties are required to utilize the funds to obtain the equipment necessary to manage the mailing, processing and tabulation of absentee ballots. This is in addition to the $117 million provided by the state of Ohio and spent by county boards of elections in the previous two years to modernize election equipment.

PPE to Keep Poll Workers and Voters Safe. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has provided detailed guidance designed to keep voting locations safe. County boards of elections will receive funds that they will use to procure the supplies necessary to meet those recommendations.

Increasing County Board of Elections Staff. With record-turnout and a higher reliance upon absentee voting expected, county boards are required to utilize the new federal dollars to boost temporary staffing ahead of the November election.

Faster Fixes for Absentee Voters. Sometimes voters utilizing absentee voting may neglect to provide all the required information, signature, or other requirements. While previously these voters would only be notified by mail, county boards are now directed to utilize any e-mail or phone contacts available, in addition to also sending a written notice, to inform voters of the shortfall and provide them information on how to quickly rectify the situation.

Additional Ballot Printing. Increasing the minimum number of printed ballots, including absentee and provisional ballots, ensures there are enough ballots so shortages cannot happen.

Paper Backups to Electronic Equipment. Electronic pollbooks are in wide use across Ohio. In order to make available an additional level of security and redundancy, boards are required to use federal dollars to ensure that every voting location has paper backups of the voter information contained in electronic pollbooks.

Relocating Polling Locations Used by Vulnerable Populations. If a board of elections has not done so already, county boards of elections must relocate any polling location currently at a residential senior citizen facility or health care facility. Relocation must occur even if voting takes place in a separate building on the same property, such as a community center or activity room.

Utilization of Schools as Polling Locations. Because of the aforementioned relocation of certain polling locations, new ones must be obtained. As required by state law, Ohio schools should provide their facilities to serve as voting locations. County Boards of Elections must contact schools in their communities to confirm their availability and request additional locations, and schools should consider the best practice of closing to instruction on Election Day.

Assisting Voters in Senior Living and Health Care Facilities. Voters in these facilities may not have the same voting option accessibility to the voting options to which they have become accustomed. County boards of elections must put a plan in place to send elections staff to these facilities to safely help individuals cast their vote, or deputize facility personnel as Special Elections Officials to ensure these voters have their voice heard.

Additional Assistance for Voters Physically Unable to Enter a Polling Location. County boards of elections must offer curbside voting for voters physically unable to enter polling locations.

Click here to read the entire Ready for November Directive.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
June 15, 2020

OHIO CONTROLLING BOARD APPROVES LAROSE PLAN TO SEND EVERY REGISTERED VOTER AN ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM

COLUMBUS - Today the Ohio Controlling Board authorized the use of federal dollars to allow the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to send absentee ballot request forms to all 7.8 million registered voters in Ohio.

“For nearly a decade, Ohioans have received an absentee ballot request ahead of the Presidential and Gubernatorial General Election, and today’s controlling board action ensures that will be the case again this year,” said LaRose.  “Sending the request – not the ballot – helps voters participate in the election and means each registered voter in Ohio can continue to choose one of three options available to them – early voting, absentee voting by mail, or voting in person on Election Day.”

The mailing of the request forms will begin around Labor Day and is estimated to cost around $1.5 million. This cost will be covered entirely through federal funds, not state dollars. Ohioans must register to vote by October 5th, 2020 in order to participate in the November election, and each of these newly registered voters will receive a request form in the mail. Voters are encouraged to confirm or update their voter registration information at VoteOhio.gov(opens in a new window) where they can also print their own absentee ballot request form and submit it right now.

Additionally, as the Secretary of State’s office continues to help county boards with an aggressive poll worker recruitment effort, this mailing will include an option for Ohioans to sign up for the important civic duty of working as an election day poll worker. Ohioans who want to answer this important call-to-duty can also sign up at VoteOhio.gov/DefendDemocracy(opens in a new window) to join the tens of thousands of others around the state who perform this crucial function.

BACKGROUND:

Ohio Revised Code Section 3501.05 EE(opens in a new window) states that the Secretary of State may mail absentee ballot applications during a general election if the General Assembly approves it.
Absentee ballot request forms have been sent in every even-year Ohio general election since 2012.
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
June 5, 2020

VIDEO STATEMENT FROM SECRETARY OF STATE FRANK LAROSE ON OHIO HOUSE PASSAGE OF HB 680

A Positive Step Towards Making Ohio Ready for November

COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose released the following statement today upon passage of HB 680 by the Ohio House of Representatives. HB 680 was introduced by State Representative Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison). In partnership with the Ohio Association of Election Officials, LaRose has been working with members of the legislature to ensure Ohio is Ready for November.

Watch Secretary LaRose's statement on the passage of HB 680 by clicking below.

LaRose
: So just got word from the Ohio House of Representatives that they just passed House Bill 680. This is a piece of legislation that makes some changes, really minor changes, to the way that we run elections in Ohio so that we can be ready for November, so that we can be ready to offer Ohioans that same normal experience that they've always had even in these times which are far from normal.

We want to make sure that Ohioans have the opportunity to vote in person on Election Day or if they choose to use Ohio's month of absentee voting or month of early voting, those same choices have served Ohioans well for nearly two decades and we want to make sure that they have those choices this November, and, and with some of these changes that have been made in this bill, our elections officials all around the state will be ready to do just that.

Now, this bill didn't start off as something that I could support. In fact when it was introduced just over two weeks ago I had some really big concerns about it, but in many ways the legislative process played out as it should. And so I really want to say a heartfelt thanks to Speaker Larry Householder, as well as to Representative Cindy Abrams, who was the sponsor of this bill. We had the chance to sit down with House leadership and House policy staff, and, and on Monday I actually drove down to Cincinnati; we went to Price Hill Chili with Representative Abrams, and with two members of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, we sat down over a bowl of chili, and we were able to discuss some changes that needed to be made.

Now, this bill didn't do everything that I wanted to do. In fact there are several things that I wanted to get done that are not included in this bill. But having spent eight years in the state legislature I know that when a process plays out and when you get a lot of what you're looking for, that's, that's a victory, and that's something that we're happy about and I'll keep working to try to get some of those other changes made in the future that I really think we need to do to modernize Ohio's elections. But for now. thanks to the members of the House of Representatives that got this done, it's heading over to the Senate, and I look forward to working with them now and engaging with them in the process because Ohioans deserve a normal election this November so that everyone can make their voice heard.


BACKGROUND ON HB 680:
  • Uses federal dollars to send each Ohio voter an absentee ballot request form
  • Expands the absentee request deadline to allow more time for mail delivery 
  • Keeps election workers and voters healthy by allocating federal funding to pay for safety equipment 
  • Directs federal funding to recruit and train new poll workers
  • Empowers county boards of elections to boost their election infrastructure to better prepare for the November election

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
June 1, 2020

LAROSE ANNOUNCES BI-PARTISAN READY FOR NOVEMBER TASK FORCE

Today Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced the formation of the Ready for November Task Force. The mission of the task force is to provide updates from the field on the challenges and needs of our county boards of elections to administer a safe, secure, and accessible election in the fall, and how the state can help support their efforts. The task force will meet several times over the coming months and will; 1) provide updates on how counties are preparing for November, 2) hear from a variety of experts, 3) learn from county elections administrators and what their needs and requirements are, 4) consider and disseminate best practices, and 5) receive information about the evolving health situation.

The members of the Task Force are the following:

Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
Michelle Wilcox, President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Auglaize County Board of Elections (D)
Rob Frost, Immediate Past President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Board Member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (R)
Lisa Welch, First Vice President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Holmes County Board of Elections (R)
Brian Sleeth, Second Vice President of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, Director of the Warren County Board of Elections (D)

WHAT: Meeting of the Ready for November Task Force

WHEN: Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 11:00 a.m.

WHO: Members of the Ready for November Task Force

WHERE: Click here to watch: ohiochannel.org/live/secretary-of-state-frank-larose

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Ohio Democratic Party
May 28, 2020

Ohio House GOP Looks At Chaotic, Confusing Primary Election And Proposes Doing It Again In November

Democratic Lawmakers Working to Make Voting Safe, Convenient, Even In Global Pandemic

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s primary election resulted in “low voter turnout and confusion,” and now Ohio House Republicans are using that — and Wisconsin’s primary, which led to large increases in coronavirus cases — as a blueprint for November and proposing legislation to make it harder to vote by mail and vote in person.

“It’s unimaginable that public officials could look at what happened here during the primary and what happened in Wisconsin — with massive disenfranchisement and large numbers of poll workers and voters contracting COVID-19 — and think, let’s do that all over again this fall, as we experience a second or third wave of infections,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper. “We need to be really clear about what the Ohio House GOP is proposing — they are simultaneously making it harder for Ohioans to vote by mail, while also taking away opportunities to vote safely and cast a ballot early in person. This attack on the democratic process is deeply cynical and downright un-American, not to mention dangerous. Gov. Mike DeWine should pledge to veto this bill, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose should condemn it.”

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan yesterday criticized House Bill 680 — introduced by state Rep. Cindy Abrams of Hamilton County — as the Republican Party’s “latest demonstration of their disdain for democracy as well as their utter disregard for the well-being of the people they were elected to serve.”

In contrast to the Ohio GOP, state Sen. Nickie Antonio and state Sen. Sandra Williams today announced legislation that would make it more convenient for Ohioans to vote by mail, which is critical for keeping Ohioans safe during the coronavirus crisis. This bill would also protect current state law that locks in a maximum ratio of voters per voting machine.

Ohio House Democrats have also offered a proposal to ensure this November’s election is safe and accessible for all eligible Ohioans.

“Ohio Democrats truly believe we’re all in this together, and that’s why we support greater voter participation — regardless of political party,” said Pepper. “Expanding vote-by-mail is not just the right thing to do; it’s got the support of the vast majority of Americans. Donald Trump and his Republican lackeys in the Ohio Statehouse are attacking the right to vote because they’re afraid they will lose in November if everyone can vote. Trump himself told us so: ‘Republicans can’t win an election’ if they let more people vote.”

The Abrams’ bill proposes the following:
  • Reduces the time for military and non-military voters to vote by mail by seven days;
  • Eliminates the last three days of early voting for military and non-military voters;
  • Undoes the mailing of absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, a provision that was passed in last year’s budget;
  • Replaces the longstanding system of mailing a ballot application to all voters with the mailing of a postcard that is not an application, like what was sent for this recent primary;
  • Forbids the Secretary of State from using federal CARES Act and Help America Vote Act funding to pay return postage for ballot applications and ballots;
  • Sets an impossible standard for how the state could modify in-person voting in case COVID19 is still a danger this fall. The Governor and ODH director would have to declare the emergency plan by Sept. 4 and the legislature would have until Labor Day, 57 days before the election, to approve the order for it to take effect. This would guarantee that boards of elections would not have the supplies on hand to conduct the election by mail;
  • Potentially violates federal statute which sets the election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November;
  • Potentially violates the federal Help America Vote Act by unlawfully restricting failsafe provisional ballot access;
  • Does not allow for more than one early voting location;
  • Removes the state and local health departments’ ability to set standards for the conduct of elections. That means the health officials could not set standards for adequate social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing, and the use of masks.
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