Secretary of State Frank LaRose could purge more than 150,000 Ohio inactive voters before election

More than 150,000 Ohio voters could potentially not be eligible to vote in the upcoming Presidential election. 

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose recently published a list of 158,857 inactive voter registrations who are eligible to be removed from the Statewide Voter Registration Database — meaning they would be purged from voter rolls. 

“These registrations are eligible for removal under the law because records show they’re no longer residing or active at the registered address for at least the last four consecutive years,” LaRose said in a statement. 

Why are voters inactive?

A registered voter could be on the list if they filled out a change-of-address form with the U.S. Postal Service signaling they have moved or they have not voted at their registered address in the past four years after being marked for removal by a county’s voter registration system. 

All 88 county boards of elections were required to collect and submit this data to LaRose’s office earlier this year. The voter purge is part of Ohio’s process of updating its rolls and removing voters who have moved out-of-state or died. 

County boards of elections must complete their voter purge by July 22, so people on the inactive voter list have until then to take action. 

What can inactive voters do to get off the list? 

In order to not be removed from the rolls and still be able to vote in the November election, an inactive voter can —

• Confirm or update their voter registration at VoteOhio.gov, by mail or in-person at their local county board of elections.
• Update or confirm their address with their county board of elections. 
• Submit an absentee ballot application.
• Sign a candidate or issue petition that is verified by a board of elections. 

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 7. 

A voter whose registration has been purged can regain their ability to vote by reregistering on the Secretary’s registration website or by visiting their county board of elections.

This article originally appeared in Ohio Capital Journal on June 7th, 2024

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