Ohio Cracks Down on Illegal Voting: Hundreds of Noncitizens Found on Voter Rolls

Ohio is taking a stand for election integrity, and the results are shocking. A recent audit overseen by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has uncovered hundreds of noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls—people who never should have been registered to vote in the first place. The audit, which has been ongoing for months, revealed that 597 non-U.S. citizens were registered to vote in Ohio, and even more concerning, 138 of them actually cast ballots in state elections.

LaRose didn’t mince words when addressing the situation. “I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country do not vote in our elections,” he said in a statement. And he’s not just talking—he’s taking action. The evidence against these 138 individuals has been handed over to the state’s attorney general for further investigation and potential prosecution.

This isn’t just a small slip-up. The audit showed that these noncitizen voters weren’t a one-time occurrence. Out of the 597 cases found, 148 were from 2022, 117 in 2021, and 354 in 2019. That’s hundreds of illegal votes over the years that could have swayed important elections in Ohio.

But LaRose isn’t stopping there. His audit has also led to the removal of over 155,000 inactive voter registrations—people who haven’t participated in elections for at least four years. By cleaning up the voter rolls, LaRose is making sure that only eligible citizens are voting, keeping Ohio’s elections fair and secure.

The audit was thorough, using records from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, federal jury pool data, and more. LaRose made it clear that his responsibility is to uphold the state’s constitution, which only allows U.S. citizens to vote. “If or when they do become citizens, I’ll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise, but until then the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting,” he said.

This move by Ohio’s Secretary of State is a huge step in ensuring that elections are protected from fraud. With so much at stake, it’s crucial that every vote counts—and that only legal votes are cast. LaRose’s efforts to uphold the integrity of Ohio’s elections are a win for democracy and a strong message that illegal voting won’t be tolerated.