COLUMBUS — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says his office has referred about 1,200 potential election-law violations to the U.S. Department of Justice for review, citing evidence from ongoing investigations into alleged illegal voting and registration activity.
According to an announcement from LaRose’s office on October 28, the referrals include 1,084 individuals who appear to be non-citizens unlawfully registered to vote in Ohio. Of those, 167 are suspected of having cast ballots in federal elections between 2018 and 2024.
The referral package also includes 99 people who allegedly voted in two states during the same election, 16 who appear to have voted twice in Ohio, 14 who may have voted after their deaths, four suspected of ballot harvesting, and two accused of registering at ineligible addresses.
LaRose said the findings came from the work of the state’s Election Integrity Unit, which reviews voter records and coordinates with local boards of elections. “Ohio has earned its reputation as the gold standard,” LaRose said in a statement, adding that the referrals demonstrate his office’s commitment to enforcing election laws.
Election-law experts, however, note that referrals do not necessarily result in criminal charges or convictions. A 2024 report from the Ohio Capital Journal found that of more than 600 referrals made by LaRose’s office since 2019, only a small number led to prosecutions. State and federal data consistently show that confirmed cases of voter fraud are rare.
The Department of Justice has not publicly commented on the new referrals or indicated whether any investigations have begun.
Ohio’s next federal election is scheduled for 2026, and officials say efforts to update voter rolls and verify eligibility are ongoing.