Mahoning GOP wants to keep voter roll purge policy
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Kicking people off of Ohio's list of registered voters could be challenged in 2018.
Some want to keep the current policy that can remove a registered voter after missing two federal elections or failing to confirm registration in place.
While the policy has been on the books in Ohio for years, the highest court in the land could soon decided whether it's legal.
The U.S. Supreme Court has already heard oral arguments on whether removing people from voter rolls violates federal law.
"People who don't live in the valley or who aren't qualified, they shouldn't be on the registration rolls," Mark Munroe said, chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party and chair of the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
Munroe joined WFMJ Weekend Today's Press Pass to detail his party's take on the policy in question. He believes retaining the current protocol shouldn't be a partisan issue.
"It's really called maintenance, keeping our list clean so only properly qualified voters are at the polling place to vote on election day," he said.
The court, which is deeply divided on the issue, could make a ruling sometime this June.
The case questions the legality of an Ohio law that allows the removal of registered voters who have either not voted in the past two federal elections or have not confirmed or updated their registration.
Munore says it's too early to know if potential change could become a problem for the November 2018 election.
With the February 7, filing deadline inching closer, Munroe speculates 2018 will be a busy election year with contested races.
Munroe expects the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio to heat up with incumbant Sherrod Brown facing up to three Republican opponents, including U.S. Rep. Jim Rennaci.
"We do expect it will be a contested primary, there will be two, possibly three Republican candidates vying for that Republican nomination," he said.
Renacci announced he was dropping out of the Ohio governor's race last week to run for U.S. Senate. The Wadsworth native is touting himself as a political outsider and in line with much of President Donald Trump's agenda.
"Certainly Mr. Renacci, he's our neighbor just to the West, he served in Congress for quite a few years, he's indicated a lot of willingness to spend a lot of his own money-- it's going to be a challenge," he said.
