Ohio takes action to eliminate noncitizens from voter rolls following the passage of an amendment

Following Ohio’s passage of an amendment banning noncitizen voting, Secretary of State Frank LaRose is directing the Buckeye State to remove 137 noncitizens from voter registration rolls.

A recent review from the Secretary of State’s Public Integrity Division and Office of Data Analytics and Archives found 137 individuals on its voter registration rolls, even though their noncitizen status had been twice confirmed.

LaRose confirmed the directive in a press release.

“Ohioans overwhelmingly passed an amendment to our state constitution which makes it clear that only U.S. citizens can vote in our elections,” the secretary of state said in a statement. “It is my duty under the law to uphold the constitution, and the legislature has explicitly tasked me with ensuring that only eligible citizens can register and vote.”

“It’s important to recognize that some of these registrations may be the result of an honest mistake.” LaRose added, “These may be well-meaning people trying to pursue the American dream, and communication barriers sometimes result in a registration form being submitted in error. We need to help them get that cleared up before an accidental registration becomes an illegal vote that could result in a felony conviction or even deportation.”

LaRose has directed Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections to initiate a confirmation and removal process of noncitizens from voter registration rolls.

He also announced his office will be “conduct[ing] an annual review of the statewide voter registration database to identify persons who appear not to be United States citizens,” as required by state law.

LaRose’s announcement comes as the GOP makes a nationwide push to ban noncitizen voting, including in key swing states. Ahead of the 2024 elections, Republican legislatures across six states have placed noncitizen voting measures on the November ballot.

In November, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri, and Idaho will vote on banning non-citizen voting. North Carolina’s legislature is debating adding the measure to their ballot. Since 2020, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, and Ohio have amended their constitutions to ban non-citizen voting. Additionally, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted in favor of blocking noncitizen voting in the District of Columbia.

Earlier this month, House GOP leaders introduced the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), which requires individuals to confirm U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.

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The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act comes as Republicans make the case that expanding voter integrity is needed to address record numbers of illegal immigrants coming into the country.

The GOP points to states such as Pennsylvania, where voting software allowed non-citizens to register to vote, as cause for concern. Republicans also justified new legislation by pointing to what they believe to be trends for illegal immigrants being allowed to vote in local elections. In San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, noncitizens are voting in elections for school boards and city council elections.