Tuesday, July 23, 1pm, this on-line event requires advance registration

A coalition of civil rights organizations today announced a media call on Tuesday, July 23 at 1pm to discuss the more than 150,000 Ohioans who are at risk of being purged from the voting rolls. They will also discuss solutions to Ohio’s current problem of creating an elections system that not only makes our most fundamental American right a “use it or lose it” one, but also that keeps too many eligible voters from being able to access our democracy. To register for the call, click here.

Who: Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Ohio Unity Coalition, A. Philip Randolph Institute, and Ohio NAACP

What: Media Call to discuss the harmful impacts of the latest supplemental voter purge on especially Black and brown voters

Where: Zoom Video Conference

When: Tuesday, July 23, 1pm

“All across the country, voters are at risk of being purged from voting rolls,” said Bria Bennett, communications director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. “With the pretense of maintaining clean rolls, Ohio (and many states) are once aggressively purging voters. This election alone, more than 158,000 Ohio voters were at risk of being removed. The right to vote is sacred and shouldn’t be taken away.”

“Since taking office, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has purged 709,000 voter registrations, shrinking the size of our electorate and limiting the number of people who can vote,” said Tom Roberts, president of the Ohio NAACP. “With numbers this high, purges aren’t about cleaning the rolls, but rather about limiting who can vote.”

“It is critical that we receive a list of all voters who were purged so that we may contact them and let them know to re-register,” said Pierrette Talley, executive director of the Ohio Unity Coalition. “It is also imperative that local election officials let the public know what they have done to contact voters and help them re-register.”

“Historically, voter purges disproportionately impact Black voters and voters who are more transient than others,” Bennett added. “Election officials must be aggressive in remedying all roadblocks that make it harder for some people to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.”

“Voter purges of even a couple thousand can impact the margin of victory and sway electoral outcomes,” Talley added. “But coupled with other roadblocks such as strict voter ID, gerrymandered districts, inadequate polling place resources, voter purges can be dire. It is imperative that Ohio leaders embrace comprehensive solutions, such as the ‘Citizens Not Politicians’ and ‘voting rights’ ballot measures to strengthen democracy.”

RSVP for this event by using this link.

Hosted by Ohio Organizing Collaborative and several other organizations.