Allison Russo is a four-term state representative from Upper Arlington and the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State.
There is a clear path to restoring trust in Ohio’s elections, and it begins with the secretary of state’s office.
Ohio needs a chief elections officer who will put voters first − not partisan politics, political grandstanding or election misinformation.
No more misinformation aboutelection fraud.
If someone tells you there is widespread fraud in Ohio elections, don’t believe them. Our current secretary of state, a Republican, has admitted on multiple occasions that election fraud is “exceedingly rare”in Ohio.
Confirmed cases of double voting or illegal non-citizenvoting represent a tiny fraction – less than 0.001% – of all
votes cast.
While our current secretary of state relishes sending press releases about the number of alleged cases of voting fraud he has referred for investigation, only six cases since 2020 have included enough evidence to end in an actual conviction of voting fraud.
Misinformation about voter fraud out of control
These isolated cases, while important to prosecute, do not actually influence election outcomes.
Yet some politicians, like President Donald Trump and RepublicanRobert Sprague, my current opponent for secretary of state, continue to peddle misinformation about widespread voting fraud designed to undermine confidence in our elections and suppress participation rather than expand it.
No more manipulating ballot language to confuse voters.
Ohio is one of 26 states where citizens can take initiatives and referendums directly to voters. That power matters, especially when state lawmakers ignore public opinion.
Consider partisan gerrymandering. Ohio voters have repeatedly made clear they do not want politicians drawing legislative and congressional districts to predetermine election outcomes.
Yet in 2024, when Citizens Not Politicians gathered signatures to give voters a chance to address gerrymandering through a constitutional amendment, the ballot language was misleading. The secretary of state’s tie-breaking vote helped put that language before voters.
That was a breach of trust.
No more misinformation about ballot drop boxes.
Drop boxes are secure, monitored and essential to accessible voting. When ballots are collected, they are handled through bipartisan procedures, with one Republican and one Democrat opening the boxes.
There is no evidence of fraud throughballot drop boxes in Ohio elections.
Yet my opponent wants to eliminate them altogether – and during the primary, even used a television ad featuring a sock puppet to spread misinformation about “ballot harvesting” and fraud.
I believe every Ohio county should have a secure drop box because making voting accessible should be a priority, not a partisan talking point.
No more compromising voters’ privacy.
Ohio elections should not be about party
Ohioans should run Ohio elections, and sensitive voter information should be protected. Voters deserve to know the secretary of state’s office will safeguard their data, not cave to a president, party leaders or corporations who demand access to this private data to interfere with our election administration and profit from Ohioans’ information. Yet, my opponent brags that he will share voter records with the Trump administration, credit bureaus and financial services companies.
We also must empower bipartisan county boards of elections with the funding and resources they need to do their jobs. That is where elections are actually administered – and where bipartisan checks and balances build trust.
On Election Night, we watch the results come in county by county. That process is transparent, bipartisan and accountable.
That is what an effective secretary of state should be: someone who sets aside partisan politics, rejects election misinformation and answers to all Ohio voters – not the party line.
If we want to restore trust in Ohio elections, voters must come first for the next secretary of state. Enough with the same partisan, political stunts that have plagued Ohio for the last several years.
Allison Russo is a four-term state representative from Upper Arlington and the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: My opponent is lying about Ohio elections. Your vote will be in spoiled in his hands | Opinion
