LaRose warns election officials of potential voting violations

By J.D. Davidson
The Center Square

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wants county election officials to be on the lookout for illegal voter registration forms after his office discovered one.

LaRose said a voter registration form translated into the Haitian Creole language was found in Clark County, the home of Springfield. The Clark County Board of Elections reported the form and rejected the local applicant.

“This is a reminder to all of our elections officials to be vigilant as we enter the final weeks of voter registration eligibility for the 2024 general election,” LaRose said. “We’re continuing to aggressively pursue third-party groups and paid canvassers who’ve been submitting fraudulent registration forms, and we’re cracking down on the use of illegal forms that aren’t authorized by my office as the law requires. These investigations are happening even as we continue to broaden the enforcement of Ohio’s constitutional citizenship voting requirement.”

LaRose sent all 88 county election boards a memo to watch for illegal activity.

LaRose’s warning comes shortly after former President Donald Trump and Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, his vice president running mate, pushed false narratives about Haitian immigrants in Springfield killing and eating residents' pets.

Local and state officials have said those stories are untrue, including Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who denounced the claims on ABC News over the weekend and called the claims garbage.

Previously, the state had initiated other programs to deal with the growing Haitian refugee population, which has grown since 2020 to around 15,000 in the city of nearly 60,000 under the Temporary Protected Status program.

The Temporary Protected Status program gives migrants whose home countries are considered unsafe a place to live and work in America.

Last week, the state announced it would provide Springfield with more taxpayer dollars to combat a growing refugee population straining public safety and health care services.

DeWine announced the state plans to spend $2.5 million to expand primary care services in Springfield, and the Ohio State Patrol will help the Springfield Police Department with traffic enforcement beginning Wednesday morning.

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