Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced on Thursday that county boards of elections are being directed to remove an additional 499 non-citizen registrations from Ohio’s voter rolls. This action is part of a comprehensive audit of the statewide voter registration database ahead of the November general election.

In a statement, LaRose emphasized the importance of upholding the state's constitution, which clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections. "I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections," said LaRose. "If or when they do become citizens, I'll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise, but until then the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting."

The removals announced on Thursday are from individuals who confirmed their non-citizen status to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and have been confirmed to be as such. LaRose's office had previously sent notices to these individuals asking them to confirm their citizenship status or cancel their registration.

The latest action comes after LaRose announced in June that over 150,000 Ohio voters were eligible to be removed from the statewide voter registration database in a series of "election integrity initiatives." In May, 136 voter registrations assigned to Ohio residents were found to have twice confirmed their non-citizenship status to the BMV, which are now being removed from voter rolls.

Secretary LaRose's efforts to ensure the integrity of Ohio's elections have been praised by many, including Ohio Representative Mike Carey, who stated, "My statement on Ohio Secretary of State @FrankLaRose purging non-citizens from voter rolls: https://t.co/XGlzkXRORF."

However, some have criticized LaRose's actions, with Democracy Docket tweeting, "NEW: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announces that the state’s county boards of election are removing 499 alleged noncitizens from the state's voter rolls after purging nearly 155,000 inactive voters last week. https://t.co/a3a76ormr2."

As the November election approaches, Secretary LaRose and his office will continue to work to ensure the integrity of Ohio's voter rolls and elections.