Voting rights groups in Ohio are being lauded for their oversight efforts which uncovered massive errors in the state's recent bid to remove hundreds of thousands of voters from its rolls. The inspection, which was carried out primarily by nonprofit volunteers, found that more than 40,000 voters were mistakenly included on the state's to-be-deleted list. "It definitely showed that Ohio's registration system needs a major upgrade," Jen Miller, the director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, told Cheddar on Monday. "We can't be using a policy as severe as a purge when we can't even be sure that our purge lists are correct." In an unusual move, this past August Ohio's Secretary of State Frank LaRose publically released a list of 235,000 voters that were set to be deleted from the state's registry. By reviewing the long spreadsheet, the League of Women Voters and several other groups uncovered gross inaccuracies, including the inclusion of Miller's name. Yet Secretary LaRose, a Republican, has praised the process, saying his office undertook the most transparent review of Ohio's voting rolls to date. "Because of our collaboration with outside organizations, the proper safeguards are in place to ensure any eligible voter will have the opportunity to have their voice heard," LaRose said in a statement after revising the list. The list maintenance process, as it's officially called, is legally mandated in Ohio and seeks to clear the state's system of deceased residents, inactive voters, or people who have moved out of state. Voter purging, however, has become a major issue nationwide as Republican-led initiatives in several states have sought to remove voters through controversial registration requirements, which critics say primarily target minority or Democratic voters. Other oversight groups that participated in the review include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, All Voting is Local, and the Fair Elections Center.

Share:
More In Politics
Trump Touts "America First" in Davos
Michael Harriot, columnist at The Root. and Alayna Treene, reporter at Axios, discuss President Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos and what it means for the future of the U.S. economy.
Closing Bell: January 25, 2018
Harvard Business Review recently launched a brand new podcast. The six-episode "Women at Work" podcast explores women's place in the workplace. Grammy Awards are returning to New York City. Starbucks and Intel announce earnings. Actor Jake Johnson is teaming up with Natural Light for a new Super Bowl campaign. President Trump wraps the first day of a summit with world leaders in Davos. Reports reveal CBS and Viacom are talking about a merger. Robbinhood will let you buy and sell crypto without any transaction fees.
Between Bells: January 25, 2018
VF Hive: We’re joined by the crew at Vanity Fair's Hive to discuss Trump's deteriorating relationship with John Kelly. On Between Bells: USA Gymnastics scandal, Trump in Davos, and Grammy preview. With Billboard, Axios, and more.
The Search for Amazon's HQ2
In this week's VF Hive's "Hive Five" Kristen Scholer and Jon Kelly discuss tension in the White House between President Trump and his Chief of Staff John Kelly. Plus, how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is handling the search for Amazon HQ2.
Opening Bell: January 25, 2018
Snapchat's VP of Product Tom Conrad is leaving the social media company after two years. Kroger and Alibaba are reportedly discussing a potential partnership. Jason Douglas, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, explains what to make of Donald Trump and Theresa May's press conference at the World Econonic Forum in Davos. Kayak's VP of Marketing David Solomito tells us the top travel trends of 2018.
The Chief of Staff Shuffle
Chris Whipple, Author of the New York Times best-selling book "The Gatekeepers", joins VF Hive to discuss tensions between President Trump and his Chief of Staff John Kelly. He reveals his thoughts on whether or not the White House is broken.
Democrats Shut Down
In this week's "Hive Five" Kristen Scholer and Jon Kelly discuss tension in the White House between President Trump and his Chief of Staff John Kelly. Plus, how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is handling the search for Amazon HQ2.
Load More