Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has announced the removal of 499 noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls as part of a comprehensive audit of registered voters ahead of the upcoming November presidential election. This directive is part of Ohio’s efforts to ensure the integrity of its elections by maintaining an accurate voter registration database.

LaRose emphasized his constitutional duty in a press release, stating, “I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections. That means I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country aren’t voting. 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.”

This recent action follows an earlier effort in May, where the Secretary of State’s Public Integrity Division and Office of Data Analytics and Archives identified and removed 137 illegal immigrants from voter rolls. LaRose’s office is in the midst of a multiphase audit to ensure compliance with Ohio’s citizenship requirements as outlined in the state constitution.

In addition to removing noncitizens, Ohio has also purged nearly 155,000 abandoned and inactive registrations that had been dormant for at least four consecutive years. These measures aim to clean up the voter rolls and prevent any potential illegal voting that could affect the integrity of U.S. elections.

The issue of noncitizen voting has become a significant talking point for the GOP this election cycle. Prominent Republicans, including Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), are advocating for federal legislation to ban noncitizen voting.

On the other hand, Democrats such as Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) argue that such legislation could inadvertently disenfranchise American citizens, including military members stationed abroad and married women whose names have changed.

As Ohio continues its audit, LaRose remains committed to ensuring that only eligible voters participate in the state’s elections, reinforcing the importance of election integrity and compliance with constitutional requirements.