House panel hears bill to let attorney general prosecute election fraud referrals after county prosecutors decline

The House General Government Committee held a first hearing on Senate Bill 4 on Oct. 14, when the bill's sponsor said the measure would let the Ohio Attorney General pursue election-fraud referrals if county prosecutors decline to act.

Senator Gavriel, the Senate Majority Floor Leader and sponsor, told the committee the election integrity unit in the Ohio Secretary of State's office should be able to refer cases to the attorney general if a county prosecutor does not prosecute. "One case of voter fraud is too much," Gavriel said. He described the bill as a way to "hold people accountable and improve the election process in Ohio."

The bill would require a county prosecutor, within one year of a referral, to prosecute the violation, request additional information, or decline to prosecute.…