LaRose Fails to Fix Voter Purge Problems Before Readying Next Round of Voter Cancellations
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) today responded to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s plans for another statewide voter purge clouded in darkness that will happen two weeks before voting in the upcoming presidential election. The Cleveland-area lawmaker sent a third letter to LaRose’s office after his refusal to provide public records requested related to LaRose’s quiet 2023 purge of nearly 27,000 people from Ohio’s voter rolls six days after November absentee ballots were sent out and reiterates a demand for transparency and cooperation with the public to ensure that no voter is incorrectly removed from the voter registry.
“The secretary of state seems more excited about canceling Ohio voters than providing answers and transparency to his process, which seems plagued by politics and inexperience. That’s why I’ve repeatedly asked for an official audit and public records so we know exactly what’s going on, ”said Rep. Sweeney in her letter to Sec. LaRose’s office. “ The problem with purging is that it has removed eligible voters. That’s unacceptable. We need answers.”
Since adopting some of the most overly aggressive voter purge processes in the country, Sec. LaRose has made numerous errors over the years that have eroded the public’s confidence in his judgment. His office has unnecessarily purged active voters, used third party vendors that also targeted eligible voters for removal and purged voters after the window to vote had already opened.
“These are costly errors that are jeopardizing Ohioans’ freedom to vote. Before again mistakenly removing eligible voters from the voter rolls ahead of a crucial election, it’s in the public's best interest Secretary LaRose make sure the people have transparency into the process before additional errors are made,” said Rep. Sweeney. “The public deserves the opportunity to review public records, the decisions of public lawmakers, and to ensure accuracy.”
Today’s letter follows on two previous letters Rep. Sweeney penned to Sec. LaRose requesting clarity on his decision to expel registered Ohio voters from voter rolls weeks before a statewide election and public records that could be used to ensure eligible Ohio voters were not improperly removed from Ohio’s registered voter system.