What do state leaders say about Ohio’s election system?

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted: “When I was Secretary of State, we did a comprehensive review of voter suppression and voter fraud. We found no evidence of voter suppression and while voter fraud did occur, it was very rare and in almost every case, the attempt at voter fraud failed — illegal votes were cast but not counted. As far as confidence in the election system, I am absolutely confident that Ohio will do this right. We have a system of elections that is run locally with bipartisan checks and balances. We will have a fair election and I’m confident Ohio’s electoral votes will be cast on time.”

Secretary of State Frank LaRose: “Ohio’s elections system is second to none. Because of the processes and laws in place, voter fraud and suppression are exceedingly rare and intimidation will never be tolerated...Ohioans must remember that the results will change between the election night unofficial tally and the final official results released about three weeks later. This allows for provisional ballots to be adjudicated and ballots mailed before Nov. 3 to arrive at their county board of elections and be counted. That’s not any different than any other election and not a sign of something nefarious happening. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. It means every properly cast ballot is being counted. We will never sacrifice accuracy for speed. It’s a process that has worked in Ohio for decades, and one that will ensure we’ll know the winner of Ohio’s electoral votes before December.”

Attorney General Dave Yost: “Confident about all of it. Ohio has a safe, secure system. The wild card is litigation because there is no end to the mischief that can be conceived in the hearts of clever lawyers.”

Auditor Keith Faber: “I am very confident that Ohio’s upcoming election will be conducted in a safe and legal manner, thanks to the appropriate safeguards that are in place to ensure all Ohioans have the opportunity to vote. Our local elections officials, under the guidance of our secretary of state, have been preparing for this election for two years. Our local boards of election have a track record of counting votes and delivering results in an efficient manner and I’m confident they will do that again next month."

Treasurer Robert Sprague: “Fortunately, here in Ohio, there is ample time for residents to make their voices heard by voting on Election Day or early either in-person or by-mail. Additionally, the fact that our 88 county boards of elections are operated and overseen in a bipartisan manner helps to ensure everyone’s vote counts....As always, it is important that every eligible elector exercises their right to vote in the upcoming election. Ohio is also fortunate to have dedicated elections staff with decades of experience in both our county boards of elections and the secretary of state’s office."