Days after removing nearly 500 noncitizens from voter rolls in Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that over 150,000 additional voters had also been removed.

As stated by LaRose, the annual list maintenance process, completed by all 88 county election boards, removed 154,995 voters due to inactivity or outdated registrations.

The removals were part of the next phase of an audit of the statewide voter registration database. According to Just the News, LaRose described the process as a voter registration integrity initiative aimed at ensuring accuracy before the November General Election.

“Every Ohioan, regardless of their political views, should care about accurate voter rolls,” LaRose said. “Diligent list maintenance helps prevent voter fraud and ensures the voice of the voters is heard on Election Day. Ohio’s process has been carried out by Republican and Democratic secretaries of state for decades, and I’m proud of the work our bipartisan elections officials do to ensure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Buckeye State.”

The most recent individuals removed from the voter rolls either submitted a national change of address form indicating a permanent move or were inactive but not yet removed. In Ohio, if a person does not vote for four consecutive years, does not confirm their registration, and fails to respond to mailed notices, they lose their voting eligibility and must re-register to vote.

Last week, LaRose removed 499 noncitizens from the voter rolls after confirming their noncitizen status with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the federal government. These individuals had not responded to notices from LaRose’s office requesting confirmation of their status or cancellation of their registration.

Those who were removed can still cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once proof of citizenship is provided.

Ohio has trended red in recent election cycles. Trump won the state both times, in 2016 and 2020. However, it was once a bellwether state not long ago that tended to predict the outcome of presidential elections; whoever won Ohio usually won the general election as well.