The investigation, spearheaded by the Secretary of State’s Election Integrity Unit, identified individuals who appear to have registered to vote despite not being U.S. citizens. Crucially, the referral includes 167 noncitizens who appear to have cast a ballot in a federal election over the last four cycles (2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024).
“Ohio has earned its reputation as the Gold Standard, and our Election Integrity Unit continues to prove why,” Secretary LaRose said in a statement. “We work tirelessly to ensure that every eligible voter’s voice is heard, and anyone who tries to cheat the system will face serious consequences.”
The Referral to Federal Authorities
The decision to elevate the cases to the DOJ follows a pattern where previous referrals to Ohio’s 88 county prosecutors resulted in limited action. LaRose noted that with a new administration in Washington, D.C., and a Department of Justice that has expressed interest in election integrity matters, he is seeking federal review and prosecution for these suspected violations of election law.
The cases were initially found through cross-checks of voter registration records against data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.
While voter fraud is widely reported to be extremely rare, LaRose emphasized the importance of maintaining the accuracy of the voter rolls. He noted that even a small number of illegal votes could impact local elections, where races sometimes come down to single digits or a tie.
Other Cases Included in DOJ Referral
In addition to the noncitizen registrations, the Secretary of State’s office is also referring evidence of other potential election crimes for federal consideration, including:
* Four individuals who appear to have engaged in ballot harvesting.
* Two individuals who appear to have registered at a residence where they were not entitled to register.
Ohio’s Constitution was amended in 2022 to explicitly state that only United States citizens may vote in all elections in the state. The Secretary of State’s office continues its ongoing audit and review process to identify and remove ineligible voters from the rolls.
“This is about upholding the fundamental principle that American elections are for American citizens,” LaRose concluded.