Ohio Secretary of State Shares Voter Data With Justice Department

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose released registration data for nearly eight million voters to the U.S. Department of Justice. The disclosure, prompted by a request from the Trump administration, included sensitive information such as dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. LaRose defended the action as compliance with federal law, while Ohio Democratic Party chair Kathleen Clyde called the decision an "egregious abuse of power."

Alongside the data release, LaRose signaled a break from President Donald Trump on specific election procedures. He expressed support for Ohio's existing statute regarding no-excuse absentee voting by mail, opposing Trump's preference to ban the practice. LaRose also criticized proposals to implement hand-counted paper ballots, arguing that electronic counts are more efficient and accurate.

These disagreements have influenced the Republican primary for secretary of state, where candidates Robert Sprague and Marcell Strbich are advocating for the removal of electronic-only voting machines.