Ohio Republican State Auditor Yost Threatens to Hold County Officials Personally Liable for Absentee Ballot Mailings

Republican State Auditor Dave Yost threatened he has the power to hold county officials personally financially responsible if absentee ballots were mailed out to voters.  The threat came after Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald called for a federal investigation into Ohio voter suppression tactics.  An earlier voter-suppression amendment to the Mid-Biennium Review was repealed by House Republicans.

Democratic candidate for State Auditor John Patrick Carney released the following statement in response to Yost’s threat against county officials:

“The current State Auditor’s actions are a prime example of political bullying. Auditor Yost is acting as a partisan enforcer for the GOP’s voter suppression efforts.  We shouldn’t treat providing absentee ballot applications to promote equal voting access as a crime or a waste of tax dollars.  As State Auditor, I will flush out real waste and work to stand up for Ohioans, not act as an enforcer for partisan agendas.”