KRISTEN.
>> ALL RIGHT, KELLY O’DONNELL IN
NEW JERSEY, THANK YOU, KELLY.
>> LET’S BRING IN FRANK LA ROSE,
HE IS THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN
THE BAT GROUND STATE OF OHIO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS
MORNING.
YOUR STATE, OHIO, WAS ONE OF
THOSE STATES RECEIVING A LETTER
FROM THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
SAYING THAT IT MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO MEET THE DEADLINES FOR THOSE
MAIL-IN BALLOTS TO BE RECEIVED
AND DELIVERED ON TIME.
YOU’VE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT
THAT.
CAN YOU REASSURE OHIOANS HOW
CONFIDENT YOU ARE THAT ALL THOSE
VOTES SENT ON TIME WILL BE
COUNTED.
>> YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEND YOUR
ABSENTEE BALLOT IN AND HAVE IT
POSTMARKED UNTIL NOVEMBER 2nd,
WE HAVE UP TO TEN DAYS UNTIL
AFTER THE ELECTION TO RECEIVE
IT.
WHAT WE NEED TO RESURE EVERY
OHIO
OHIOAN IS DO NOT DELAY.
WE’RE MAILING AN ABSENTEE
REQUEST IN A FEW WEEKS.
7.8 MILLION
7.8 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS
ARE GOING TO GET THAT IN THEIR
MAILBOX THEY SHOULD RETURN IT
RIGHT AWAY.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR
PRIMARY.
YOU DELAYED YOUR PRIMARY IN
MARCH, SWITCHED OVER TO ALMOST
ENTIRELY MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
YOU KNOW THAT THIS COMES AS
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN MAILING
AGAINST MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
HE SAYS IT LEADS TO WIDESPREAD
FRAUD, DESPITE THE FACT THERE’S
NO EVIDENCE OF THAT.
LET ME PUT THE QUESTION TO YOU,
DID YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF
WIDESPREAD FRAUD IN YOUR
PRIMARY?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
NOT IN OHIO.
OUR ABSENTEE BALLOT PROGRAM IS
TRUSTWORTHY.
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS HAVE
TRUSTED IT FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
OUR BIPARTISAN COUNTY BOARDS OF
ELECTION ADMINISTER IT.
WE DON’T PERMIT BALLOT
HARVESTING.
WE ALLOW VOTERS TO TRACK THEIR
BALLOTS SO THEY CAN MAKE SURE
IT’S RECEIVED.
OHIO
OHIOANS TRUST THIS PROCESS.
>> MR. SECRETARY, OHIO HAS SET
UP DROP BOXES, ONE IN EACH OF
THE STATE’S 88 COUNTIES FOR
FOLKS WHO WANT TO DROP THEIR
BALLOT AS OPPOSED TO MAILING IT
IN RIGHT NOW.
88 COUNTIES, SOME OF THESE ARE
PRETTY BIG COUNTIES, SOME OF
THEM MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE
LIVE IN THERE RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT ENOUGH, AND WHY NOT
PERHAPS ADD MORE TO MAKE IT
EASIER AND SAFER AND MORE SECURE
FOR FOLKS TO DO IT?
>> PETER, THE BEST PLAN IS TO
GET A STAMP AND MAIL EUROYOUR BA
IN.
I ASKED OUR STATE LEGISLATURE TO
AUTHORIZE ME THE ABILITY TO
PROVIDE POSTAGE PAID ENVELOPES.
WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT WITH
CARES ACT DOLLARS BUT THE STATE
LEGISLATURE WOULDN’T AUTHORIZE
IT.
YOU’RE RIGHT, DROP BOXES ARE
AVAILABLE.
I EXPANDED DROP BOXES IN OHIO.
A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE WERE ONLY
A HANDFUL IN THE STATE.
NOW EVERY COUNTY HAS THEM.
I’D LOVE TO SEE MORE.
AS AN EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOLDER
I’VE GOT TO CARRY OUT THE LAW,
NOT MAKE IT.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS NOT
AUTHORIZED US TO FURTHER EXPAND
THE DROP BOX PROGRAM.
THAT’S A GREAT BACKUP PLAN.
BUT THE FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE
MAILING IN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT
AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
>> I KNOW YOU ALREADY HAD A
MESSAGE FOR VOTERS, BUT JUST PUT
A FINE POINT ON IT.
WHAT DO VOTERS NEED TO DO TO
HELP MAKE SURE THEIR BALLOTS ARE
RECEIVED ON TIME AND ARE
COUNTED.
>> VOTING IS AN IMPORTANT RIGHT
AND A RESPONSIBILITY.
I SPENT TEN YEARS IN THE
MILITARY.
I SAW PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES IN
FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO CAST A
BALLOT.
ALL WE’RE ASKING YOU TO DO IN
OHIO IS MAKE SURE YOU DON’T DRA.
TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEND
IN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST.
TRACK YOUR BALLOT, GO ONLINE AND
BY THE WAY, SINCE YOU’VE ALREADY
VOTED, SIGN UP TO BE A POLL
WORKER BECAUSE WE BADLY NEAR
35,000 OHIOANS TO SIGN UP FOR
THIS DUTY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE
ELECTION DAY VOTING IS AVAILABLE
FOR ALL WHO WANT TO USE THAT AS