COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio has identified 13 cases of non-citizens casting a ballot in the 2020 election.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose gave a news conference Monday and also said 104 non-citizens were found to be illegally registered to vote. Those people did not cast ballots.
"Voter fraud is rare in Ohio," LaRose said. "One of the reasons it's rare is because we have good laws on the books."
About 5.8 million people voted in Ohio last year. Illegally registering to vote is a fifth-degree felony; illegally casting a ballot is a fourth-degree felony.
These cases will be referred to the Ohio attorney general for possible charges, who can then refer them to county prosecutors.
"If you've been referred these cases, I would ask you to take them seriously," LaRose said. "If there is cause to pursue prosecution, I would ask you to do so."
LaRose said there are cases where honest mistakes are made, such as filling out a voter registration form at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in error. However intent does not need to be proven.
According to state law, non-citizens may not register to vote or cast a ballot in any Ohio election. As is outlined in state code, LaRose’s office utilized a cross-matching of the voter rolls in the Statewide Voter Registration Database with the list of individuals that submit documentation to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. While the State does not maintain a comprehensive database of all non-citizens in Ohio, the records of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles does record when an individual submits documentation indicating that the person is not a United States citizen.
These 117 individuals each provided the BMV with documentation identifying themselves as non-citizens on at least two occasions. Additionally, per Ohio law, each were sent two notices at the address where they are registered to vote requesting that the individual either cancel their voter registration or advise the Secretary’s office that they have become a U.S. citizen.