COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For Ohioans, an important deadline for the 2020 election is here. Today (Tues., Feb. 18) is the final day to register for Ohio's March 17 primary election, when voters will narrow the field of candidates on the November ballot for the presidential race, as well as the state's 16 congressional seats.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is encouraging all voters to ensure their registration information is current.

He explained that state law requires the Secretary of State to direct local boards of elections to cancel voter registrations that have gone six years without activity, or if a voter has not responded to registration confirmation request sent by mail.

"Those are things that we're required to do, but I'm working to modernize that process, because the current process is rather antiquated," LaRose said. "We can do a lot better in the year 2020 when it comes to maintaining accurate data. But the right to vote also includes the responsibility of keeping your registration information up to date. "

About 460,000 voters' names were purged from the Ohio rolls in 2019, primarily due to inactivity.

Voters can register to vote or update a registration address online at voteohio.gov, or in person at a local board of elections.

Wed., Feb. 19, is when early voting begins for the March primary.

One interesting aspect of the March primary, said LaRose, is that certain 17-year-olds can participate.

"If you are a 17-year-old and interested in making your voice heard in the March primary, you can do so as long as you'll be 18 by the November general election," he explained. "So, it's kind of a neat thing for 17-year-olds to say that, 'I voted legally in Ohio.' And we encourage them to make sure that they're taking advantage of that."

The Secretary of State noted that election officials are working on significant security improvements to ward off possible cyber attacks. He said nearly every Ohio county has met the requirements of a Security Directive, which includes a checklist of 24 requirements for compliance.

"This is being noticed around the country as, really, the example for other states to follow," LaRose added. "The cyber-security checklist has been a lot of work for our county boards of elections, but it's important and certainly well worth it."

Ohio is enhancing election security through the use of nearly $13 million in federal Help America Vote Act funds, and is the only state making grants available directly to local election officials to improve security.


This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.




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Virginia lawmakers begin their legislative session today but with elections ahead in November, passing bills may be more difficult this year.

Democrats are interested in beginning the process of passing constitutional amendments on voting rights, marriage equality and reproductive rights this year. The Virginia General Assembly must pass a constitutional amendment twice, in two different legislative sessions, then the amendment would go to voters for approval.

Kate Seltzer, state politics reporter for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, said a major priority for state Republicans will be tax relief, particularly relief from the annual Vehicle Personal Property Tax, known as the "car tax."

"State Republicans are endorsing an end to the car tax, or taking some incremental steps to end the car tax, which they described as the 'most hated tax since the Boston tea tax.' It is an unpopular tax," Seltzer explained.

It is unpopular because it costs people who own or lease a vehicle just over $4 for each $100 of their car's value as of Jan. 1 each year. Democrats, however, are concerned about school and local government funding if the car tax is repealed. One poll last year found more than 60% of Virginians wanted to see it repealed.

Other Republican priorities include raising criminal penalties for breaking laws involving firearms and drugs.

Seltzer noted the elections coming up later this year may lead to both sides digging in and wanting to deliver key parts of their agendas to their bases.

"The sort of cynical school of thought is that everybody will promote their own legislative priorities," Seltzer observed. "What they will then do is go back to their constituents and explain, 'Well, this is what we tried to do. This is what the other party did to prevent you from having this.' And then, they'll use that in the gubernatorial election."

Elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the entire state House of Delegates will be held this November.


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Virginia will hold three special elections across the state today, the first elections since President-elect Donald Trump's victory in November.

The races may hold key signs for state elections later in November. A state senate and house seat are up for grabs in Loudoun County, where Vice President Kamala Harris trounced Trump by more than 20 points. Another senate district in deeply Republican rural areas outside of Richmond is up for grabs.

Karen Hult, professor of political science at Virginia Tech, said she will be looking to see if Republicans build on their slim wins for president and Congress, and how Democrats have responded following their tough losses and closer-than-expected victories in November.

"That will give us a sense of whether the Democrats have regathered and regrouped, and decided we're going to keep moving forward in the statewide elections this calendar year," Hult explained.

Hult added she does not expect major upsets but special elections traditionally have low turnout, leaving room for a possible surprise or narrower margins. The special elections will likely not affect the power balances in the state legislature.

Virginia made a solid swing toward Republicans this year. Harris only won the state by six points, compared to President Joe Biden's 10-point victory in 2020. Much of it can be attributed to Trump increasing his margins in the Washington, D.C., suburbs like Loudoun County. Hult expects voters will focus on issues such as the federal workforce, spending on public education, and reproductive rights.

She noted Virginia is one of only a few states to hold off-year elections, a barometer of sorts following a presidential election.

"This is seen as an early diagnostic on how a newly elected president is doing. I think Virginia does get -- and probably should get -- a great deal of attention just for getting a sense of what people on the ground are thinking about things going forward."

In November, Virginians will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the entire House of Delegates.


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Progressive advocates are expressing concerns over President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Amy Adams, partnership director for the advocacy group Progress Iowa, has been on the ground in small, rural towns, hearing concerns from residents about Kennedy's controversial stance on vaccines and his alleged promotion of baseless health claims.

"They didn't want to see vaccines discontinued," Adams reported. "These are individuals who have seen polio in their lifetimes and the impacts of this. And just the concerns with Kennedy specifically and his ties to misinformation and vaccine conspiracy theories."

Those concerns aside, some progressive Democrats are considering supporting Kennedy for his stance on reducing the heavy corporate influence over the U.S. food supply and his goal of getting more chemicals out of what people consume.

Based on the input Progress Iowa has received from people around the state, Adams argued the clear choice for Iowa's senators is to reject Kennedy's nomination.

"We're hearing stories over and over again about people who are cancer survivors, who benefited from research and development, and people who need those around them to be vaccinated so they can be safe and healthy because they are immunocompromised," Adams explained.

Adams added Iowans also had the opportunity to share their views directly with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, one of Iowa's two senators who will vote on Kennedy's confirmation.