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Secretary of State urges Senate to restore Safe at Home increase, seeks cybersecurity and a blended funding approach
Summary
Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the Senate Finance Committee the office needs continued investment in cybersecurity, local election support and the Safe at Home program, and warned that relying solely on business filing fees risks future deficits; he asked lawmakers to restore a $375,000 Safe at Home increase removed by the House subbill.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the Senate Finance Committee his office’s budget request supports election security, county boards of elections, cybersecurity grants and business services, and he asked senators to restore a modest increase for the Safe at Home confidentiality program that the House subbill removed.
LaRose described Ohio’s 2024 election as running “the smoothest election that Ohio has ever had,” credited preparatory work by county boards of elections and said his office is investing in cybersecurity for boards of varying capacity across the state. He said that investments in cyber and IT grants help ensure smaller county boards reach uniform standards. "Nobody should have to choose between their personal safety and their precious right to vote," LaRose said when describing the Safe at Home address‑confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence.
Why it matters: The secretary’s office administers elections and business filings statewide; funding decisions affect local boards’ cybersecurity, voting access for survivors and business registration fees.
Key points from testimony
- Safe at Home: LaRose said the House subbill zeroed out an increase his office requested and asked the Senate to restore $375,000 over the biennium so survivors can continue to register and vote confidentially.
- Business filings and fees: LaRose said the office has held the business filing fee at $99 and that Ohio recorded 172,000 new business filings in the past year. He warned that relying primarily on filing fees makes the office vulnerable to revenue swings and urged a blended approach that includes some GRF support to avoid future deficit spending.
- Cybersecurity and county boards: LaRose emphasized investment in cyber liaisons and grants to bring 88 county boards of elections to uniform cybersecurity standards. He said federal funding streams have shrunk and the state must be prepared to sustain protections.
Follow‑up and committee questions
Senators asked about late mail ballots and coordination with the U.S. Postal Service; LaRose described ongoing coordination with local postmasters and tools like ballot tracking at voteohio.gov/track, and said the office moved the absentee request deadline back to reduce late‑mail problems. He also described work to improve the BMV/deputy registrar registration process and to digitize transmissions to boards of elections.
Ending
LaRose closed by asking the Senate to consider restoring Safe at Home funding and to weigh a longer‑term blended funding model for the office so future administrations do not inherit structural deficits.
