Secretary Husted announces statewide support for safe-at-home initiative to protect domestic violence, human trafficking
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Press Release-
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced his “Safe at Home” initiative has been endorsed by 36 County prosecuting attorneys from across Ohio, including Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins, as well as numerous advocacy groups and non-profit organizations, including the Highland County DV Task Force.
The address listed on a voter’s registration is, by statute, a public record and logged within the individual County’s voter rolls and reported to the Secretary of State for inclusion in the Statewide Voter Database. Victims’ advocates report that individuals who have been subject to violent crimes will commonly choose to not register to vote for fear that their attacker may be able to locate and harm them.
“It may not surprise many to know there are those in the world who do not vote out of fear for their personal safety,” Secretary Husted said. “But, it may come as a surprise to find out those people are our friends and neighbors right here in Ohio.”
Secretary Husted’s Safe at Home initiative would, if approved by the legislature, allow victims to apply for a confidential address through the Secretary of State’s Office in order to shield their personal information from public view so they can register to vote and cast a ballot without fear that their location may be disclosed to the public. Registrants would work through a victim’s advocate, who can connect them with additional services that ensure their safety and well-being, to enroll in the program.
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Currently, 36 different County prosecutors have endorsed the common sense legislation. These prosecutors come from all over the state and from both political parties: Ashtabula County, Nicholas Iarocci, Butler County, Michael Gmoser; Carroll County, Donald Burns; Clark County, D. Andrew Wilson; Clinton County, Richard Moyer; Crawford County, Matthew Crall; Cuyahoga County, Timothy McGinty; Fairfield County, Gregg Marx; Fayette County, Jess Weade; Franklin County, Ron O'Brien; Fulton County, Scott Haselman; Gallia County, C. Jeffrey Adkins; Geauga County, James Flaiz; Guernsey County, Daniel Padden; Highland County, Anneka Collins; Hocking County, Laina Fetherolf; Jefferson County, Jane Hanlin; Knox County, Chip McConville; Lake County, Charles Coulson; Logan County, William Goslee; Madison County, Stephen Pronai; Marion County, Brent Yager; Meigs County, Colleen Williams; Mercer County, Matthew Fox; Paulding County, Joseph Burkard; Pike County, Robert Junk; Portage County, Victor Vigluicci; Putnam County, Gary Lammers; Richland County, Bambi Couch Page; Scioto County, Mark Kuhn; Shelby County, Timothy Sell; Stark County, John Ferrero; Trumbull County, Dennis Watkins; Tuscarawas County, Ryan Styer; Union County, David Phillips; and Wayne County, Daniel Lutz.
The initiative has also been endorsed by 10 mayors and three city police chiefs.
A number of organizations and law enforcement and victim advocacy groups have also backed the measure, including: the Ohio Troopers Association, the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, the West Side Catholic Center, the Tri-County, Help Center, Inc., Shelter from Violence, Inc., the Rape Crisis Domestic Violence Safe Haven, Safe Harbour DV Shelter, Project Woman Springfield & Clark County, the Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services, My Sister’s Place, My Sister’s House – Domestic Violence Shelter Program, the Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, Homesafe, Inc, the Highland County DV Task Force, the Domestic Violence Project, Inc, the Catholic Charities Regional Agency/Christina House and the Caritas House Domestic Violence Shelter.
Secretary Husted’s Safe at Home initiative has been introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly as House Bill 359, jointly sponsored by Representatives Mike Duffey (R–Worthington) and Anne Gonzalez (R–Westerville), and Senate Bill 222, jointly sponsored by Senators Peggy Lehner (R–Kettering) and Sandra Williams (D–Cleveland). House Bill 359 passed the Ohio House of Representatives unanimously on Jan. 27, 2016 and is awaiting a vote in the Ohio Senate.
The address listed on a voter’s registration is, by statute, a public record and logged within the individual County’s voter rolls and reported to the Secretary of State for inclusion in the Statewide Voter Database. Victims’ advocates report that individuals who have been subject to violent crimes will commonly choose to not register to vote for fear that their attacker may be able to locate and harm them.
“It may not surprise many to know there are those in the world who do not vote out of fear for their personal safety,” Secretary Husted said. “But, it may come as a surprise to find out those people are our friends and neighbors right here in Ohio.”
Secretary Husted’s Safe at Home initiative would, if approved by the legislature, allow victims to apply for a confidential address through the Secretary of State’s Office in order to shield their personal information from public view so they can register to vote and cast a ballot without fear that their location may be disclosed to the public. Registrants would work through a victim’s advocate, who can connect them with additional services that ensure their safety and well-being, to enroll in the program.
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Currently, 36 different County prosecutors have endorsed the common sense legislation. These prosecutors come from all over the state and from both political parties: Ashtabula County, Nicholas Iarocci, Butler County, Michael Gmoser; Carroll County, Donald Burns; Clark County, D. Andrew Wilson; Clinton County, Richard Moyer; Crawford County, Matthew Crall; Cuyahoga County, Timothy McGinty; Fairfield County, Gregg Marx; Fayette County, Jess Weade; Franklin County, Ron O'Brien; Fulton County, Scott Haselman; Gallia County, C. Jeffrey Adkins; Geauga County, James Flaiz; Guernsey County, Daniel Padden; Highland County, Anneka Collins; Hocking County, Laina Fetherolf; Jefferson County, Jane Hanlin; Knox County, Chip McConville; Lake County, Charles Coulson; Logan County, William Goslee; Madison County, Stephen Pronai; Marion County, Brent Yager; Meigs County, Colleen Williams; Mercer County, Matthew Fox; Paulding County, Joseph Burkard; Pike County, Robert Junk; Portage County, Victor Vigluicci; Putnam County, Gary Lammers; Richland County, Bambi Couch Page; Scioto County, Mark Kuhn; Shelby County, Timothy Sell; Stark County, John Ferrero; Trumbull County, Dennis Watkins; Tuscarawas County, Ryan Styer; Union County, David Phillips; and Wayne County, Daniel Lutz.
The initiative has also been endorsed by 10 mayors and three city police chiefs.
A number of organizations and law enforcement and victim advocacy groups have also backed the measure, including: the Ohio Troopers Association, the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, the West Side Catholic Center, the Tri-County, Help Center, Inc., Shelter from Violence, Inc., the Rape Crisis Domestic Violence Safe Haven, Safe Harbour DV Shelter, Project Woman Springfield & Clark County, the Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services, My Sister’s Place, My Sister’s House – Domestic Violence Shelter Program, the Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, Homesafe, Inc, the Highland County DV Task Force, the Domestic Violence Project, Inc, the Catholic Charities Regional Agency/Christina House and the Caritas House Domestic Violence Shelter.
Secretary Husted’s Safe at Home initiative has been introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly as House Bill 359, jointly sponsored by Representatives Mike Duffey (R–Worthington) and Anne Gonzalez (R–Westerville), and Senate Bill 222, jointly sponsored by Senators Peggy Lehner (R–Kettering) and Sandra Williams (D–Cleveland). House Bill 359 passed the Ohio House of Representatives unanimously on Jan. 27, 2016 and is awaiting a vote in the Ohio Senate.