Pink Rose Society

Ohio Secretary of State

Ohio's chief elections officer and keeper of business-entity filings. The office is the single most important state lever over how elections are actually run.

What it controls

  • Administers statewide elections and issues directives binding all 88 county boards.
  • Maintains the voter-registration database and roll-maintenance ("purge") policy.
  • Sets rules on early voting, drop boxes, provisional ballots, and ID; certifies results.

Why it matters

Whoever holds it writes the practical rules of ballot access statewide. See Election Administration in Ohio. The 2026 open race is Ohio 2026 Secretary of State Race (Robert Sprague vs. Allison Russo).

Notable holders

  • Jon Husted (R) 2011–2019 — standardized early voting; defended voter-roll purges (Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute).
  • Jennifer Brunner (D) 2007–2011 — paper-ballot push and machine reform.
  • Recent Republican incumbent Frank LaRose (Frank LaRose), now term-limited.

Sources