| That’s right. The Associated Press announced that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is gearing up to do another purge of Ohio voter registrations ahead of the crucial 2024 Presidential Election. Since taking office, Secretary LaRose has purged hundreds of thousands of registrations, shrinking the size of our state’s voter rolls to smaller than Michigan’s. Last year, Innovation Ohio Education Fund released our Ohio’s Missing Voters report, where we announced that there are over 2 million Ohioans who are eligible to vote but are not on the voter rolls. Another 700,000 Ohioans are registered but are in danger of being purged because they have not voted in a recent election. As a result, Ohio’s government is not as representative of its people as it could be. |
| In our Ohio’s Missing Voters – Part 2 report, we compared voter turnout and voting policies in midwestern battleground states: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Looking at the last three federal General Elections, we found that Ohio consistently ranks at the bottom in voter turnout and provides the least voter-friendly policies. The key takeaway from our findings is clear: Ohio can and should be better. In our report we’ve identified some policy changes that may increase Ohio’s voter participation: increasing voter registration rates and improving the convenience of voting. However, new legislation (HB472) from Ohio republicans further attacks our voting rights by increasing hurdles to register and cast a ballot. Policies like these will only enhance Ohio’s Missing Voters problem. Ohio has always played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s political direction, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen’s voice is heard in our democratic process. Instead of deleting voter registration, we should be implementing proven policies to increase voter participation. Desiree Tims President/CEO Innovation Ohio |
