Secretary of State
The important role of secs. of state in administering fair elections is changing. Not in a good way
By Thom Reilly, Arizona State University The state officials who administer fair, accessible and secure elections have historically operated quietly without garnering much public attention. Elections happen, votes are counted, the winners are declared and democracy moves on. But since 2020, secretaries of state and other state officials who oversee elections have come under increasing […]
Some voter education programs may be in jeopardy due to new Ohio law
With Ohio searching for more poll workers during the pandemic last year, Secretary of State Frank LaRose had to get creative. Ohioans needed their hair cut after being indoors for months. And, perhaps just as much, they wanted to go out again for drinks. So LaRose announced two new programs meant to spur voter registration […]
A safe experience at the polls
By the time I arrived at the Franklin County Board of Elections last Thursday afternoon, the long line waiting to vote I’d seen in photos had mostly dissipated. Once I made it past the gauntlet of enthusiastic partisans in the parking lot — Please take a quick glance at this giant stack of pamphlets, won’t […]
Secretary of State announces more polls to be relocated amid COVID-19 fears
Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced plans Tuesday to relocate at least 125 polling locations just seven days before primary voting begins, a number that has swelled as a result of mounting COVID-19 related concerns. At a press conference, LaRose said he could not immediately say how many voters are among those assigned to those […]
Democratic Ohio House member looks to introduce automatic voter registration bill
A new proposal to require voters to be automatically registered to vote could be filed in the Ohio House by the end of the week, according to its sponsor. State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, is pushing forward with a move that has been supported by Secretary of State Frank LaRose in the past, and […]