Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Election Integrity Unit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves bill creating election integrity unit in Secretary of State’s office
Summary
The Ohio Senate passed Amended Senate Bill 4 on June 17 to codify an 'election integrity unit' inside the Secretary of State’s office to investigate election-related complaints; the bill passed 24-8 after floor debate about local control and prosecutorial jurisdiction.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate on June 17 passed Amended Senate Bill 4 to establish an election integrity unit within the office of the secretary of state, a measure supporters said will strengthen the state’s ability to investigate allegations of election fraud and voter suppression. The bill passed the Senate by a 24-8 margin.
Senator Gavarone, who sponsored the bill, told colleagues the election integrity unit would codify the election-related work the Secretary of State’s office already conducts and would be required to investigate allegations, accept public complaints, refer cases to local prosecutors or to the attorney general if local prosecutors decline, and publish a report to the General Assembly on complaints and referrals.
"One case of voter fraud is too many," Gavarone said on the floor, arguing the unit would help prevent and prosecute conduct that threatens elections. She said the unit’s work has already identified instances of multi‑jurisdiction voting and noncitizen registrations.
Opposition speakers said the measure encroaches on local control and duplicates or interferes with the work of county prosecutors and boards of elections. Senator DeMora described the bill as a "dangerous partisan bill" that shifts authority from local boards of elections and county prosecutors; Senator Blackshear called it "unnecessary" and warned the unit could be used for politically motivated investigations without clearer criteria and protections for thorough prosecutions.
In committee hearings, prosecutors and opponents testified against the bill, raising concerns about deadlines for investigations, publication of county-level allegations and the potential for misleading public data if cases are incomplete or lack evidence. Supporters countered that the secretary of state is the chief elections officer for the state and has accountability to voters.
The Senate recorded 24 yeas and 8 nays; after the roll call the chair announced the bill had passed and that the Senate agreed to the title.
