From Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office:

COLUMBUS – In a continued effort to maintain an accurate voter database statewide, thus reducing potential voter fraud, Secretary of State Jon Husted today provided county boards of elections a report comparing records of deceased Ohioans maintained by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) with the records of active voters.  In total, the report found 18,460 matches, all of which he is asking county boards of elections to further investigate for removal.

“The integrity of voter data is critical from a cost, quality and confidence standpoint,” Husted said. “We must take advantage of all information available to us, and be vigilant throughout the year, not just during election season.”

The report released today provides county boards of elections with information on in-state and out-of-state deaths matched by full name and date of birth to the information contained in the statewide voter database. Boards have been directed by the Secretary of State’s office to examine each voter record indentified for their county to determine whether the record should be removed because the voter is deceased. The county boards of elections must complete their review process by June 3, 2011and then quarterly thereafter.

Secretary Husted is seeking to develop a more centralized database as part of his “Ready 2010 & Beyond” elections reform proposal. The reform will make it easier for the Secretary of State’s office to cross-check voter information files against data maintained by state agencies such as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Social Security Administration, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections.

An enhanced statewide voter database, in addition to allowing for online voter registration and change of address, which is also part of Secretary Husted’s elections reform priorities, will cut back on data-entry, improve accuracy and access in the voting process.

To view the report provided to county boards of elections, please visit the link below: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/news/20110412.pdf