Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed Friday that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security voter fraud investigation is active in Franklin County, with federal agents having requested records on more than 50 Columbus-area voters since January — four days before Ohio’s May 5 primary election. LaRose addressed the probe in an interview with ABC 6 (WSYX), calling cases of this nature “exceptionally rare” while defending the investigation as a product of his office’s own election integrity work.
Public records show DHS first contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections in January, requesting voter information on six individuals. According to those records, two individuals successfully voted in the 2024 presidential election, and four others attempted to vote but were not registered in time, with their provisional ballots rejected. Since then, the investigation expanded to include more than 50 people in Franklin County, with federal agents requesting documents including voter registration records, voting history, and eligibility forms.
In Franklin County, the agent collected unredacted registration and voting records for at least 50 voters, including signatures, addresses, and partial Social Security numbers. In a March 16 email to the elections office, the agent — who works for the Homeland Security Investigations division — also sought information about a local voter registration group, calling it a “priority.”
Antone White, Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, confirmed his office fulfilled the requests under state law, which permits law enforcement agencies to access unredacted voter records as part of an investigation. “DHS requested a specific number of public voter registration records as part of an investigation,” White said.
White said his office had never previously received a call from Homeland Security. “We’d never received a call from Homeland Security before, so that was unusual,” he said, though he complied because DHS is a law enforcement agency.
In his Friday interview, LaRose credited his office’s Public Integrity Division with generating the federal referral. “One of the reasons it’s rare is because we take it seriously,” LaRose said. “This federal investigation is going on because of some good investigative work done by our team.” LaRose confirmed that his office coordinates with local election boards and law enforcement to identify suspicious activity, with cases referred to prosecutors, the state attorney general, and federal agencies including DHS when warranted.
LaRose also highlighted Ohio’s expanded access to federal immigration data as a tool for verifying voter eligibility. “Now that we have access to federal and state data, we can do a much more complete job of catching non-citizens when it happens,” he said.
Federal Scope Remains Unclear
DHS declined to share specific details about the Franklin County case. In a statement to ABC 6, a DHS spokesperson said the agency “is investigating election fraud wherever it can be found” and that it has “repeatedly demonstrated that illegal aliens can and do vote in our elections.” The agency did not confirm whether the investigation is ongoing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio also declined to comment, stating it “cannot confirm or deny the existence of any potential investigations” outside of publicly filed court documents.
A Reuters investigation found that Homeland Security agents sought voter records from at least five additional Ohio counties beyond Franklin County, suggesting the requests may be part of a broader federal effort. No charges have been filed in Franklin County as of the publication of this article. It remains unclear how DHS intends to use the information collected.
Governor Mike DeWine said he is aware of the investigation but deferred to the Secretary of State and local election officials for details. U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno said election integrity is a shared goal across political parties, adding that only eligible voters should participate.
Ohio’s May 5 primary election is scheduled for Tuesday. Franklin County voters can find polling locations and absentee ballot tracking information at vote.franklincountyohio.gov or by calling the Franklin County Board of Elections at 614-525-5393.
Sources
- Ohio Secretary of State Press Releases — ohiosos.gov/office/media-center/categories/press-releases
- Franklin County Board of Elections — vote.franklincountyohio.gov
Last Updated: May 2, 2026 at 12:30 ET
Disclaimer: This article is based on information released by Columbus authorities and reputable sources at the time of publication. Details may change as investigations continue.