Days after removing nearly 500 noncitizens from voter rolls in Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that over 150,000 additional voters had also been removed. LaRose stated that the annual list maintenance process, completed by all 88 county election boards, led to the removal of 154,995 voters due to inactivity or outdated registrations.
The removals were part of the next phase of an audit of the statewide voter registration database. LaRose described the process as a voter registration integrity initiative aimed at ensuring accuracy leading up to the November General Election, according to Just the News.
“Every Ohioan, regardless of their political views, should care about accurate voter rolls,” LaRose said. “Diligent list maintenance helps prevent voter fraud and ensures the voice of the voters is heard on Election Day. Ohio’s process has been carried out by Republican and Democratic secretaries of state for decades, and I’m proud of the work our bipartisan elections officials do to ensure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Buckeye State.”
The most recent individuals removed from the voter rolls either submitted a national change of address form indicating a permanent move or were inactive but not yet removed. In Ohio, if a person does not vote for four consecutive years, does not confirm their registration, and fails to respond to mailed notices, they lose their voting eligibility and must re-register to vote.
Last week, LaRose removed 499 noncitizens from the voter rolls after confirming their noncitizen status with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the federal government. These individuals had not responded to notices from LaRose’s office requesting confirmation of their status or cancellation of their registration. Those removed can still cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once proof of citizenship is provided.
The news last month in another swing state, however, was not so good for Trump and Republicans. The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided that ballot drop boxes are allowed for use in the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a ruling that overturns an earlier decision by the same court, which had deemed the boxes illegal following their widespread use during the 2020 election.
In a 4-3 decision, the liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that state law permits the use of ballot drop boxes for absentee voting and that city election clerks can employ these boxes to facilitate elections. The decision was met with approval from Democrats and criticism from Republicans.
“Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what [state law] has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily conferred discretion,” Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed a July 2022 decision that banned the use of unmanned ballot drop boxes. This earlier ruling was overturned following a challenge by Democrats after liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the court, defeating a conservative candidate. The latest decision, which allows the use of ballot drop boxes, was met with strong objections from the court’s conservative justices. They argued that the decision was politically motivated and expressed concerns that it could undermine election integrity.
“The majority again forsakes the rule of law in an attempt to advance its political agenda,” wrote Justice Rebecca Bradley. “The majority ends the term by loosening the legislature’s regulations governing the privilege of absentee voting in the hopes of tipping the scales in future elections.” She added that the majority decision would “legitimize any method of getting absentee ballots to a municipal clerk that the clerk may choose.”
“An unattended cardboard box on the clerk’s driveway? An unsecured sack sitting outside the local library or on a college campus? Door-to-door retrieval from voters’ homes or dorm rooms? Under the majority’s logic, because the statute doesn’t expressly forbid such methods of ballot delivery, they are perfectly lawful,” she wrote.
Democrat Governor Tony Evers celebrated the ruling, calling it a “victory for democracy,” and said he would “keep fighting to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, securely, and as easily as possible to make sure their voices are heard.” But Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming expressed disappointment with the ruling.
“In a setback for both the separation of powers and public trust in our elections, the left-wing justices on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin have obeyed the demands of their out-of-state donors at the expense of Wisconsin,” he said. “This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.