Most of us, no matter our race, ethnicity, origin, or the language we speak, want America to be a place where freedom is for everyone, where we all have an equal say, and that we the people decide who governs in our name. On Election Day, when eligible voters show up at the polls in Ohio, we expect to have the freedom to vote, forging a future where we can take care of our loved ones.
And yet, certain politicians are attempting to block our freedom to vote and decide our futures.
On May 14, 2024, the Ohio Secretary of State (SOS) Frank LaRose announced that their office would send mailers to certain individuals based on how they became U.S. citizens – instigating lies about immigrants and voting in advance of the November elections.
At OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership, a community-based organization in Ohio whose members represent the diverse diaspora of Asia and the Pacific Islands, we have learned that the OH SOS sent these mailers to naturalized citizens, properly registered to vote – including one of OPAWL’s staff.
“I already affirmed my citizenship when I registered to vote in 2022,” said Jona Hilario, Co-Director at OPAWL, who received the Ohio SOS mailer, “I passed the citizenship test. I took the oath of allegiance to the United States. How many more times will I need to confirm my citizenship status in order to be believed? Shouldn’t I be treated the same as other citizens?”
The mailers contain intimidating language, warning recipients in bold and all-caps text: “Whoever commits election falsification is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree.” The mailers also instruct recipients to either confirm their eligibility or request to cancel their voter registration with the Ohio SOS in order “to comply with state and federal law.” LaRose continues to sow fear and confusion by insisting that failure to respond to the mailer triggers a process to cancel the individual’s voter registration.
“The language in these mailers assumes that recipients have broken the law. But we know that the Ohio SOS sent these letters to law-abiding citizens,” said Hilario.
Ohio is home to one of the fastest growing populations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the country. Additionally, 30 percent of Asian American adults in Ohio identify as having limited English proficiency. To OPAWL’s knowledge, the Ohio SOS did not translate the mailers in any other languages. “These mailers are confusing even for people fluent in English,” said Hilario. “For folks who have difficulty with reading English, I worry that this letter will scare them away from participating in our elections, or people may overlook the letter entirely because they can’t understand it.”
Not only is this “audit” a shameful attempt to silence some Ohioans’ voices based on how we gained citizenship, the language we speak, or the color of our skin – it is an attempt to erode our freedoms and control all Ohioans’ futures.
But we’re not letting this or any other attempt to block our freedom to vote stop us. We will turn out in record numbers, demand that election officials count and certify every vote, and protect our freedom to have a say in the decisions that impact our lives.
At OPAWL, we urge all Ohioans – from Dublin to Dayton, Cincinnati to Cleveland – to check your voter registration, and ask your family and friends to do the same. If your registration has been removed, you can re-register to vote, but you must register by October 7 in order to participate in the November 5th election. You can register to vote online.
We also urge Ohio voters to call the election protection hotline if they encounter any other issues with voting:
English: 866-687-8683
Spanish: 888-839-8682
Asian Languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali): 888-274-8683
Arabic: 844-925-5287
At OPAWL, we believe that showing up as voters means showing up for our communities. Our friends and neighbors are counting on us to show up alongside them at the ballot box. When we show up as voters, we deliver a future where we all have the excellent schools, fair-paying jobs, and dependable healthcare that all of us are worth in Ohio, no exceptions.