Ohio is taking a statewide approach to a pilot program aimed at improving the accuracy of voter rolls. This program was initially launched as a test run, but it’s now becoming a full-fledged effort to ensure that voter rolls are more precise.
The voter data integrity program, initiated by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, has expanded from six counties to the entire state of Ohio. The program now utilizes digital dashboards tailored to each county, aiding in the identification of any discrepancies in voter registration.
According to LaRose, the discrepancies found in data entry are not necessarily a sign of fraud or irregularities. However, it is crucial to resolve them to fulfill our shared responsibility of maintaining the accuracy of the voter registration database statewide.
As per The Center Square’s earlier reported, Ben Kindel, the spokesperson for LaRose, mentioned that the dashboard would be an additional tool for local officials to use during their routine list maintenance activities that take place frequently. The local boards were responsible for managing their systems until the dashboard was introduced.
According to Kindel, the majority of voter registration errors occur due to officials accidentally pressing the wrong key while updating forms or due to incorrect transcriptions from hand-filled registration forms.
County boards of election can now access dashboards that display the number of registration records that have been flagged for potential errors. These errors include illegal characters in name fields, placeholder birth dates, unreasonably high ages, and improper birth/registration date combinations. The dashboards provide a helpful tool for ensuring that registration records are accurate and free from errors.
Over the years, the state’s database was prone to errors due to the manual entry of information from handwritten forms.
According to LaRose, a significant number of Ohio’s registration records have been manually entered into the system from a handwritten form. This process often results in data entry errors that can cause issues during elections. To improve the accuracy of voter registration records, LaRose has introduced an innovative tool that will assist every county election office in resolving these issues more efficiently. LaRose is optimistic about the success of the pilot program and plans to extend its benefits as they prepare for the November election.
Election officials are now obligated to review and correct errors that were previously prohibited, including name characters that are not allowed, placeholder birth dates, registration before birth, and registration of those who are under the age of 17. The new dashboards facilitate this process and ensure that all information is accurate and up to date.