Ohio
Far fewer Ohio women could vote if top election officer gets way | Opinion
The SAVE acronym should stand for Suppress American Votes Everywhere.
Trump pushes voter ID bill that could burden married women
President Donald Trump is advocating for the passage of the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill critics say could make voting harder for married women and other eligible voters.
Richard Topper has been a trial attorney in Columbus for 45 years and is actively involved in voting rights efforts.
As chief election officer of our state, Frank LaRose should be focused equally, if not more, on how election laws affect Ohio citizens’ rights to vote as he does to the miniscule numbers of undocumented citizens who attempted to vote in our elections.
To support our right to vote, LaRose, a Republican candidate for Ohio auditor of state, should speak out against the SAVE Act pending before the U.S. Senate.
The SAVE acronym should stand for Suppress American Votes Everywhere.
The bill would require all U.S. citizens to present a birth certificate or passport in person when they register to vote. The act could prevent thousands of Ohio citizens from participating in a single election.
The number far outweighs the 167 noncitizens whom, according to LaRose, “have appeared to cast a ballot in (over 15 elections) since 2018.”
How will the Save Act affect you?
Let’s say you’ve lived and worked in Ohio all your life but decide to move.
To vote, you’d have to re-register in person at your county board of elections and show them your birth certificate or passport. If you have neither, you will be unable to vote.
For Ohioans who’ve changed their name due to marriage or remarriage, it becomes even more difficult to prove your citizenship with a birth certificate.
This will affect Ohio women’s right to vote, since 70% change their name when they marry.
Every person who wants to vote in Ohio for the first time, who moves to Ohio, or who moves within the state will need to have a birth certificate or passport to vote.
In 2023, close to 1.2 million Ohioans moved within or to Ohio. Under the SAVE Act, every one of those Ohioans is considered a non-citizen until they prove otherwise.
Not everyone has or can get access to a birth certificate.
An argument that sinks
A study by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement showed over 9% of voting-age citizens, or 21.3 million people in the U.S., cannot timely obtain a birth certificate or passport. In fact, only 37% of Ohioans own a U.S. passport.
The argument that too many non-citizens vote holds no water.
In 2024, Secretary LaRose required poll workers to challenge voters whose driver license read “non-citizen.”
Of the 5,851,387 people who cast ballots in 2024, only five alleged non-citizens attempted, but were not able to vote that day. One in a million. Nationwide, the figures are similar.
Kansas legislators tried their own SAVE Act. The 67 non-citizens who registered to vote paled in comparison to the 31,000 Kansans who were denied their right to vote.
Ohioans need Frank LaRose to take a stand
LaRose should focus his attention on what the SAVE Act requires and how this will affect the average Ohioan.
In the past five years in his chief election officer position, LaRose decried costly and non-participatory August elections, then supported an August 2023 election that would have taken Ohioans’ longstanding right to amend our constitution by a majority.
He also voted in favor of unconstitutional gerrymandered Ohio legislative and Congressional districts which diminished the votes of 45% of Ohioans.
Recently, LaRose bowed to the Trump administration and supported an Ohio law which would nullify up to 7,000 legitimate Ohio mail-in ballots received during the four-day grace period after election day.
LaRose can redeem himself by supporting Ohio voters and taking a bold step to speak out against the voter suppressive SAVE Act.
Richard Topper has been a trial attorney in Columbus for 45 years and is actively involved in voting rights efforts.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — First News is working to learn more information after officers served a search warrant Friday afternoon for a building at the corner of Market Street and Pasadena Avenue
When we showed up to the scene, we found Animal Charity of Ohio had humane agents there.
We could also hear what sounded like roosters crowing, and eventually we saw humane agents bringing out several chickens and roosters in cages from the property. Authorities said they removed approximately 30 pairs of roosters and hens.
That brought us to a residence on Glenwood Avenue near the corner of Stadium Street.
So far, we aren’t hearing anything, but a number of officers and humane agents seemed to be knocking on the front door, and seemingly no one answered.
They then all moved behind the house, and one was an officer carrying a sledgehammer and a crowbar. So far we haven’t heard or seen any action.
First News will update this story as we learn more.
Nick Rich contributed to this report.
ROSSFORD, Ohio — Smoke from Canadian wildfires forced the cancellation of three community events Thursday, including a multi-day festival, a weekly farmers market and a summer concert series finale.
Organizers of the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, the Perrysburg Farmers Market and the Whitehouse Summer Concert Series each cited hazardous air quality conditions as the reason for their decisions.
Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest canceled
Rossford city officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board jointly decided Thursday to cancel the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, which was scheduled to run July 17-19.
The Visitors Bureau’s director Beth Genson said in a statement: “The decision to cancel the 2026 Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest was made jointly by City officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board after careful consideration of the hazardous air quality conditions caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, vendors, performers and staff was our highest priority. We recognize how disappointing this is for our community and visitors, but we believe cancelling the event was the responsible decision under these circumstances.”
Perrysburg farmers market, Whitehouse concert also called off
The Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce canceled Thursday’s farmers market in historic downtown Perrysburg. The chamber’s director of tourism Sally Moore said: “The health and safety of our vendors, customers, volunteers, and staff is our top priority. Based on the current hazardous air quality conditions and the guidance we received, we believe cancellation is the safest course of action.”
In Whitehouse, the final performance of the summer concert series at Whitehouse Village Park was also canceled Thursday out of concern for the safety of concertgoers. A spokesman for the series said organizers are hoping to reschedule the final performance in August or September.
Health experts advise staying indoors
Dr. David Geisinger, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, said residents should limit time outdoors while smoke remains in the area.
“We all need to be extra careful, but the children especially, younger kids, anybody with asthma, chronic lung disease, COPD, bronchitis, they would need to be especially careful,” Geisinger said.
Geisinger added that with current air quality index levels, indoor activities are the safer option.
“With this level of air quality index and the smoke, it’s better to do activities that are inside,” he said.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires was expected to continue affecting air quality into Friday.
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WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Warren man indicted in June on charges he had inappropriate conduct with a teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Daniel Procopio, 29, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony count of attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Howland police arrested Procopio following a report filed by the parent of a teenager who reported Procopio had inappropriate contact with the teen. The investigation by Howland police showed Procopio in February 2026 had asked a 16-year-old female to send nude photos of herself to him, according to Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman.
The crimes are alleged to have taken place in February and March.
Procopio will be sentenced at a later date.
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