Ohio Secretary of State emphasizes importance of local elections

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose stopped by a polling place in Miamisburg to emphasize the importance of local elections.

He said while there is already a lot of focus on next year’s presidential election, this year’s decisions will also be impactful.

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“And it matters who runs for president and who lives at the White House but what matters just as much is who works at the court house or who works at the school house and those decisions really impact the quality of life in our community,” LaRose said.

LaRose said there are about 3,700 voting locations staffed by 35,000 Ohioans around the state.

This year the state has removed some Ohioans from the voter registration rolls who have not cast a ballot in recent years.

LaRose has said the move is his office following the law and is needed to keep the voter registration list updated and accurate. Critics say the purge of voters from the system is not necessary and will suppress voter turnout.

Earlier this year, Ohio canceled the registrations of about 267,000 voters after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state’s process of purging those who have not cast ballots for six years is constitutional.

Another 235,610 people were sent last-chance notices by Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections in July to warn them that their registration would be canceled on Sept. 6 unless they took action.

Thousands of those voters were mistakenly added to that list, though, and should not have received last-chance notices.

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LaRose said Tuesday morning that voters should not be worried and should make sure they keep their registration up to date when they change addresses.

“Voters should not be worried. Voters should take responsibility and be aware of both the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen. What that means is that you should keep your registration up to date. When you move, you should change your address,” LaRose said.

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