Newly-sworn in Secretary of State Frank LaRose is already making his pitch to Ohio lawmakers for his biggest legislative priorities. Among the top issues, modernizing the voter removal process, which right now allows registrations to be removed after six years of inactivity.
LaRose says he’s legally obligated to maintain an accurate voter list. But he says he wants to make changes to the system by taking advantage of all the times a person interacts with state government such as receiving state benefits, paying state taxes or even getting a fishing license.
“Any one of those presents an opportunity to update somebody’s information,” says LaRose.
Drivers renewing tags and licenses can also update voter registration information, but LaRose suggests that should be an opt-out process, not opt-in.
Former Secretary of State Jon Husted was criticized and taken to court for what opponents said was an aggressive approach to maintaining the voter rolls.