CLEVELAND–The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition called on Secretary of State Frank LaRose to require universal standards for how Ohio’s 88 counties collect election data, a move that is critical in bolstering public confidence in the state’s election system.
In a letter sent to LaRose on Friday, the coalition emphasized that clear and consistent data collection standards are critical to making improvements in how Ohio’s elections are run.
The groups wrote: “Our goal is to expand elections-related data collection across the state so the election process continues to improve in a comprehensive manner that values every voter’s right to cast a ballot, bolsters public confidence in our electoral system, illuminates best practices that other Boards of Elections can emulate, and provides data needed for best guiding policy reforms. Every successful business embarks on robust data collection to guide sound decisions and improvements. Boards of Elections should indeed do the same.”
The request follows an earlier letter sent July 21, 2021, in which the coalition asked for state election data regarding: vote-by-mail, ballot drop boxes, curbside voting, Monday early voting, automated voter registration, verification of petition signatures, and data tracking and reporting.
The coalition received a response from Director of Elections Amanda Grandjean, suggesting the groups seek the data from local counties instead.
The full letter can be found here and was signed by the following groups:
All Voting is Local Ohio
Ohio Voice
Common Cause Ohio
League of Women Voters of Ohio