Ohio purging hundreds of non-citizens from state voter rolls amid 2024 election audit

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is taking steps to remove hundreds of non-citizens currently registered to vote, following an audit conducted in an election year that pointed to discrepancies in state voter rolls.

The audit revealed 499 individuals registered to vote who were not U.S. citizens. The removals, announced on Thursday, include those who validated their non-citizen status with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This information was cross-referenced with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, confirming their non-citizen status.

“These individuals did not respond to communications from the Secretary of State’s office asking them to confirm their citizenship status or to cancel their voter registration,” stated LaRose’s office.

Officials emphasized that any individual whose registration is annulled based on Thursday’s actions may still cast a provisional ballot, which “will be counted upon the submission of proof of citizenship.”

DEMOCRATS TO APPROVE NOMINEES THROUGH VIRTUAL ROLL CALL WEEKS BEFORE DNC IN CHICAGO TO AVOID LEGAL ISSUES

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is moving forward with an audit of the state’s voter rolls. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

“I have taken an oath to uphold our state constitution, which clearly stipulates that only United States citizens may participate in elections in Ohio,” LaRose told Fox News Digital. “I am obligated to ensure that individuals who have not yet attained citizenship do not vote. If they become citizens, I will gladly welcome them to the electoral process, but until then, the law mandates the removal of ineligible registrations to prevent illicit voting.”

BIDEN’S CABINET REITERATES SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENT AMID CALLS TO INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT

Ohio law mandates that to be removed from the voter rolls, a person must have confirmed their non-citizen status with the BMV on two occasions, and also updated their voter registration or voted between those occurrences.

Previously, Ohio had removed 136 non-citizens from its voter rolls in May, based on internal investigations using state data. LaRose had requested that President Biden’s administration release the federal SAVE data, which was complied with, resulting in Thursday’s actions.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is executing an extensive audit of the state’s voter rolls.

Some of the improper voter registrations may lead to legal action, although LaRose warned that not all cases are criminal. His office’s Election Integrity Unit will escalate cases for criminal prosecution when necessary.

HARRIS RECYCLES DISPROVEN CLAIM THAT TRUMP AIMS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION DURING HIS FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY SINCE BIDEN EXITED THE RACE

“I want to assume that most of these individuals did not set out to violate the law,” LaRose remarked.

Ohio’s auditing process is ongoing, with LaRose’s office stating that additional voter roll purges may be announced as Election Day approaches. The state has also removed close to 155,000 registrations confirmed to be inactive and abandoned for a minimum of four consecutive years. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Ohio’s auditing process continues, with LaRose’s office suggesting that more voter roll purges could be publicized as Election Day draws near. The state has also eliminated approximately 155,000 registrations deemed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We aim to ensure that a misplaced registration does not translate into an illegal vote. Additionally, we want to guarantee that lawfully registered citizens can engage effortlessly in the electoral process,” LaRose stated.