For many years, Ohio has earned a reputation as the national gold standard for election administration, running a bipartisan system that demands accuracy and accountability. But even the strongest system can falter when the laws that protect it are not enforced.
Last May, I sounded the alarm that reforms are desperately needed. The facts are unmistakable. The Ohio Elections Commission has become an increasingly toothless and inconsistent version of what it was created to be, failing to act on even the most serious campaign offenses.
Five years after federal corruption charges brought down the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and more than two years after his conviction and sentencing to prison, the commission has yet to issue a decision on more than 100 criminal complaints involving Larry Householder and his associates. Countless others have never been held accountable for their crimes.
If election laws are not enforced, Ohio’s elections are not protected. Fortunately, the legislature this year recognized the problem and took decisive action. Beginning in January, the Ohio Elections Commission will be abolished and replaced with the Ohio Election Integrity Commission. This is not a cosmetic change. It’s a necessary reset designed to prioritize election integrity by restoring trust, fixing long-standing problems, and building a law enforcement system worthy of the public’s confidence.
First, the new commission strengthens oversight. Because the vast majority of enforcement cases were already generated by the office I lead, it makes sense for referrals and follow-through to occur within a structure that has both the expertise and the responsibility to act. This streamlined approach will enable us to process cases more efficiently, reduce backlogs, and provide candidates and campaigns with clearer expectations.
Second, accountability will improve. When responsibility is clear, so is ownership. The new commission will operate with transparency and a renewed commitment to consistently enforcing election and campaign finance laws, rather than selectively or occasionally. The legislature also expanded the commission’s jurisdiction to include additional offenses that directly affect the integrity of our elections, including offenses related to election petitions, ballot harvesting, voter registration fraud, voting eligibility, and duplicate voting offenses.
Finally, the bipartisan nature of election oversight in Ohio remains fully intact. Election integrity is not, and should never be, a partisan idea. It’s a basic promise to every Ohio voter that the rules are fair and the process is honest.
The transition to the new commission has revealed additional weaknesses in the old system that need to be addressed. Some failures stem from outdated rules, while others arise from gaps in law that previously allowed serious violations to linger unresolved. Consolidating responsibility finally gives us the ability to address these problems directly, rather than letting them persist.
As we implement these reforms, we’ll continue reviewing every aspect of the enforcement process with an eye toward modernizing outdated practices. That includes evaluating reporting requirements, updating administrative rules, improving digital filing systems, and ensuring that every case receives a prompt and transparent response. Our goal is not simply to replace the old structure with a new one but to build the strongest, most reliable enforcement mechanism in the country, one that gives Ohioans confidence that violations will be addressed swiftly and fairly.
There will be more information and announcements in the coming weeks, but Ohioans can be assured that there’s a new sheriff in town. The Ohio Election Integrity Commission will have the tools, structure, and authority necessary to enforce Ohio’s election laws as intended. Ohioans deserve a system where the rules are clear, and the consequences are real.
Frank LaRose is Ohio Secretary of State.