Secretary of State
Kathleen Clyde (D) |
Frank Larose (R) |
Bio: Education: BA from Wesleyan University JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Training and Experience: Currently serving fourth term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Served as an election official with the Franklin County Board of Elections. Served as a law clerk for the Ohio Secretary of State and the Ohio Senate. |
Bio: Education: Graduate of Copley High School in Summit County and The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Affairs and a Minor in Business Administration. Training and Experience: United States Army Veteran (10 years). |
How would you promote equitable, ample ballot access and registration for all eligible voters? Ensuring access to the ballot box is critical to the health of our democracy. The best way to do this is by modernizing our outdated registration process. That’s why I introduced Automatic Voter Registration, a plan to automatically register and update the info of every eligible Ohio voter when they do the things they already do every day, like renew a driver’s license or apply for benefits. In fact, more than half of Americans live in states with AVR. It’s efficient, saves money and has actually proven to increase turnout. |
How would you promote equitable, ample ballot access and registration for all eligible voters? Ohio has among the most generous early and absentee voting in the country. That’s a good thing, and we must maintain our position as a national leader. I’ve championed several pieces of legislation that make it easier for citizens to register and vote. Those bills include online voter registration which allows Ohioans to securely register using a computer or smartphone, and legislation that will allow people to request absentee ballots online. I have opposed efforts by some to make it harder for Ohioans to vote, and have supported maintaining convenient weekend options for early in-person voting. Additionally, I’m working to create “automated voter registration,” so that people can automatically register to vote when they interact with state agencies, such as the BMV. As Secretary of State, I’ll continue working in a bipartisan fashion to get automated voter registration passed, and to move the ball forward in other areas in order to ensure we continue to be a voter-friendly state. |
How will you faithfully execute redistricting reforms overwhelmingly passed by voters for statehouse and congressional map making? Better representation begins with fair districts. I’ve been pushing for redistricting reform throughout my time in office, working with the League and other advocates behind the scenes and publicly in recent years to fight for fair districts. I’ll continue that important work as Secretary of State. Ohio is a diverse state, and our districts should reflect that. It’s critically important that we keep the process open to the public so that they have a voice in their representation. In the end, we need a process that, for the first time in a long time, truly puts Ohioans before partisanship. |
How will you faithfully execute redistricting reforms overwhelmingly passed by voters for statehouse and congressional map making? I’ve been a proponent of redistricting reform from the beginning, Ohioans, who have been shut out of that partisan process for over a generation. Members of the Redistricting Commission have a duty to the people of Ohio to only approve legislative (and possibly Congressional) districts that are fair and competitive. In furtherance of this goal, I pledge that I will ensure the Redistricting Commission complies with the Open Meetings Act, bringing a new level of transparency to proceedings. Robust public debate on the best way to combat gerrymandering is still underway, and given the Supreme Court’s expected landmark ruling on gerrymandering cases this summer it may be too soon to declare explicit tools (such as the efficiency gap) that will be useful in preventing gerrymandering. I believe that drawing competitive districts should be the Commission’s top priority. |
*Neither candidate responded to our survey. These answers are taken from the League of Women's Voter Guide*
http://www.lwvcincinnati.org/
http://www.lwvcincinnati.org/