Ohio’s election chief criticizes Democrats for attempting to alter voting regulations to benefit Biden

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose blasted Democrats’ scheduling of the Democratic National Convention as it relates to Ohio election laws and getting President Joe Biden on the ballot there.

LaRose, a Republican, slammed Democrats for blaming Ohio Republicans for their “failure to get Joe Biden on the ballot in Ohio.” Under Ohio law, parties must confirm their presidential candidates 90 days before the November general election, which would be Aug. 7. But the convention, in which Biden will be nominated, is scheduled for Aug. 9.

“As Ohio’s chief elections officer, I refuse to bend the rules to benefit a candidate,” LaRose wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. “Critics allege that my decision to uphold the law will deprive Ohio voters of the opportunity to choose their president. Never mind that I didn’t create this problem, nor do I wish for that outcome.”

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) called a special legislative session to get Biden on the ballot. The Ohio Legislature has until Thursday to approve an exemption to the rule.

“Ohio is running out of time to get Joe Biden, sitting president of the United States, on the ballot this fall,” DeWine said. “Failing to do so is simply not acceptable. This is ridiculous; this is an absurd situation.”

LaRose said a similar problem has happened twice with convention scheduling occurring before the Ohio deadline, but the legislature passed a temporary extension of the deadline for then-President Barack Obama and Sen. Mitt Romney in 2012 and then-President Donald Trump in 2020.

He said it was Democrats who were in control of the Ohio House over a decade ago when they passed the election law, and he was frustrated that Republicans, who are now in control, must deal with the problem in the special session.

“Unable so far to get a legislative fix to the problem they created, Democrats have flipped the script. They used to say refusing to enforce election rules was a threat to democracy; now refusing to bend the rules is a threat,” LaRose wrote.

LaRose remained firm that his hands were tied in the situation.

“I believe it’s in voters’ best interest to have a choice in the race for president, from Donald Trump in Colorado to Joe Biden in Ohio. But I’m also duty-bound to follow Ohio election law,” LaRose wrote.

“For now, the law requires me to uphold a deadline the Democratic Party appears willing to miss. If as a result the Democratic candidates for U.S. president and vice president aren’t on the statewide ballot, that’s the party’s choice, not mine,” LaRose concluded.

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Earlier this month, a similar situation occurred in Alabama, which has one of the earliest deadlines in the country. The Republican-controlled Alabama House unanimously voted to ensure Biden would be on the ballot.

“This is nothing new. We just need to fix this so the president can be on the ballot, just like our nominee can be on the ballot,” Alabama House Speaker Pro Tem Chris Pringle, a Republican, said during the brief debate.