Trump administration strikes deal with Ohio to clean up state voter rolls using federal database
In a significant move to enhance election integrity, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a new data-sharing agreement with the Trump administration that will provide Ohio with long-term access to federal records crucial for maintaining accurate voter rolls. This agreement, announced on Monday, centers around the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which allows state officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters. Previously, access to this database was limited and costly, often resulting in states facing hurdles in cleaning up their voter rolls. LaRose emphasized the importance of ensuring that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, stating, “This agreement gives us the tools to do that job right,” and expressed gratitude to the Trump administration for facilitating this partnership.
This agreement marks a resolution to a lawsuit LaRose initiated against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Biden administration, which had restricted access to the SAVE database and imposed fees for its use. Since taking office, LaRose’s office has already made significant strides in identifying and removing wrongful voter registrations in Ohio, with tens of thousands of registrations purged in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. Notably, over 1,000 noncitizens have been referred to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution after being found to have unlawfully registered to vote. Among these cases, 167 individuals reportedly cast ballots in federal elections since 2018, including instances of individuals voting in multiple states or after their deaths. LaRose’s proactive measures also included the removal of over 155,000 voter registrations deemed abandoned or inactive for at least four years, highlighting the ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of Ohio’s electoral process.
This agreement not only enhances Ohio’s ability to maintain accurate voter rolls but also reflects a broader national conversation about election security and the verification of voter eligibility. As states grapple with the complexities of voter registration and the potential for fraudulent activity, Ohio’s initiative stands as a notable example of how state and federal cooperation can work to bolster election integrity. With the 2024 elections on the horizon, LaRose’s office aims to ensure that Ohio voters can trust the electoral process, reinforcing the fundamental principle of democracy that every vote counts and is cast by a legitimate voter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct5_BfsSwFc
Ohio elections officials reached a data sharing agreement with President
Donald Trump
‘s administration that will help clean up and maintain the state’s voter rolls.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced the new agreement on Monday, saying it guarantees Ohio access to enhanced federal records for at least 20 years. The deal refers to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which previously had limited and costly availability to state election officials.
LaRose says Monday’s agreement with the Department of Homeland Security guarantees Ohio the capability to obtain verifiable data supporting each citizen verification as well as the ability to perform bulk verification requests.
“Ohio has a duty to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, and this agreement gives us the tools to do that job right,” LaRose said. “I appreciate the Trump administration for working with us to deliver long-term access to the federal data needed to protect election integrity.”
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The agreement concludes a lawsuit LaRose filed against the DHS under former President
Joe Biden
. The previous administration had withheld access to SAVE data and also charged states for access on a per-query basis.
LaRose’s office has already removed tens of thousands of wrongful voter registrations in Ohio since before the 2024 election. He referred over 1,000 noncitizens to the DOJ for potential prosecution in October after determining that they “appear to have registered to vote unlawfully in Ohio.”
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His office said that of the 1,084 cases, 167 of the individuals appeared to have cast a ballot in a
federal election
since 2018.
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The cases included 99 individuals who appear to have voted in two states in the same federal election; 16 people who appear to have voted twice in Ohio in the same federal election; 14 who appear to have voted in a federal election after the date of their death; four who appear to have engaged in ballot harvesting and two who registered at an unlawful residence.
LaRose’s office also removed over 155,000 voter registrations that were confirmed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.
Eric
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