Hamilton County Democrats have delivered a resounding condemnation of voting restrictions proposed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
In a letter to Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Jason Stephens from Aug. 29 – first obtained by the Toledo Blade – LaRose recommends numerous changes to how Ohio’s elections are conducted.
The alterations included possibly banning ballot drop boxes, with LaRose arguing the court’s ruling “creates an unintended loophole in Ohio’s ballot harvesting law that we must address.”
LaRose issued a new measure that would require family members of disabled voters who need assistance dropping off absentee ballots to physically enter their county’s Board of Elections office during business hours, rather than using the 24/7 ballot drop-off box. If the voter is not returning their own absentee ballot, they will be required to go into the board of elections office and fill out an attestation form, a legal form under election law.
LaRose also called for requiring proof of citizenship on voter registration forms, and requiring Ohioans cast provisional ballots if the information in their voter file doesn’t match what was provided to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Social Security Administration.
The measures come in the aftermath of high profile legal defeats for Ohio election laws. A federal judge blocked the law banning foreign nationals from donating to ballot issue campaigns, and House Bill 458 – which prohibited anyone but a few qualifying family members from assisting voters with disabilities in delivering or mailing absentee ballots – was also struck down in April of 2023.
The measures come in the aftermath of high profile legal defeats for Ohio election laws. A federal judge blocked the law banning foreign nationals from donating to ballot issue campaigns, and House Bill 458 – which prohibited anyone but a few qualifying family members from assisting voters with disabilities in delivering or mailing absentee ballots – was also struck down in April of 2023.
Democrats and Republicans react
Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairwoman Gwen McFarlin said in a press release that LaRose's ballot box measures will hurt seniors and voters with disabilities the most.
“This directive will disproportionately harm our seniors, people with disabilities, and our working families,” McFarlin said. “The law says we’re allowed to help our families return ballots. This restriction imposed by Secretary LaRose contradicts that law. This is voter intimidation and it's just plain wrong.”
Several members of local Democratic party leadership echoed McFarlin’s worries in the press release.
“This is more of the same chaos that we’ve seen time and time again from those who should be acting as our leaders. All of us – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – can see this for what it really is: a last minute change of the rules designed to confuse voters and restrict our right to vote,” said Congressman Greg Landsman.
“This last-minute switch is a part of an organized campaign that Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, are pursuing to undermine the integrity of our elections. It's painfully transparent that Secretary LaRose issued this directive out of allegiance to Donald Trump, not out of service to Ohioans,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval.
The League of Women Voters of Ohio, a non-partisan grassroots voting rights organization, told CityBeat that LaRose's concerns over voting security at ballot drop-boxes are unfounded.
The League of Women Voters of Ohio, a non-partisan grassroots voting rights organization, told CityBeat that LaRose's concerns over voting security at ballot drop-boxes are unfounded.
"Drop boxes are a secure and direct way that voters can submit voter registration forms, absentee request forms, and absentee ballots to the Board of Elections; even candidates use them to submit paperwork," an organization spokesperson told CityBeat in an email. "In Ohio, drop boxes are bolted to the ground, have 24-7 video surveillance, are emptied by elections officials of two different parties, and are fire proof. There is absolutely no reason to ban them, because it would cause unnecessary challenges for voters and elections administrators."
Ohio Republicans offered an alternative view of LaRose’s position on social media, citing election security as a grave concern.
“Thank you @FrankLaRose for protecting the integrity of the ballot in Ohio,” wrote Ohio Republican Party chairman Alex Triantafilou on X, formerly Twitter. “Ohio has ONE MONTH of early voting so common sense protections against fraud are very welcome. “ LaRose quote-tweeted Triantafilou, writing, “As you know from your years of service at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, we are constantly seeking to strike the balance between making it easy to vote AND hard to cheat.”
Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Russell Mock, House Speaker Jason Stephens and Senate President Matt Huffman did not respond to requests for comment from CityBeat.
Is voter fraud actually a problem?
The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025, has been monitoring election fraud cases state by state over decades. Accounting for a wide range of fraudulent voting activities – such as filling out an absentee ballot for someone who has died or moved away, voting while ineligible, paying for votes, pretending to be someone else at the polling place, etc. – the Heritage Foundation chronicles only 1,546 proven cases of election fraud in the U.S. since 1979, with 1,313 of these resulting in criminal prosecutions.
In Ohio, the Heritage Foundation only lists nine cases of voter fraud committed by fraudulent use of absentee ballots, and only one case of impersonation fraud at the polls.
The Heritage Foundation has admitted before that their voter fraud tracker is not entirely comprehensive, but many notable Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have pushed voter fraud conspiracies since his 2020 election defeat against President Joe Biden without evidence, and in the face of evidence to the contrary. LaRose, however, has publicly stated that he believes the 2020 election was conducted fairly and accurately.
In Ohio, the Heritage Foundation only lists nine cases of voter fraud committed by fraudulent use of absentee ballots, and only one case of impersonation fraud at the polls.
The Heritage Foundation has admitted before that their voter fraud tracker is not entirely comprehensive, but many notable Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have pushed voter fraud conspiracies since his 2020 election defeat against President Joe Biden without evidence, and in the face of evidence to the contrary. LaRose, however, has publicly stated that he believes the 2020 election was conducted fairly and accurately.
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