Ohio's New Election Watchdog: What's Changing and Why It Matters

Ohio is getting a new team to keep an eye on campaign money and election rules. This new group, called the Ohio Election Integrity Commission, starts working on January 1. It's replacing the old Ohio Elections Commission, which some people thought was too slow. Republicans pushed for this change. They said the old group didn't do enough to stop rule-breaking. For example, Secretary of State Frank LaRose mentioned that the old commission didn't collect nearly $100 million in fines. That's a lot of money left unpaid. Democrats aren't happy about this change. They think the new setup gives too much power to one person, the Secretary of State. The old commission had seven members, with a mix of Republicans, Democrats, and an independent person. The new commission has five members, and the Secretary of State picks the leader.The new commission has some new tools. It can suggest fines and even recommend criminal charges for things like fake signatures on petitions or voting twice. But the Secretary of State gets to decide what happens next. LaRose chose retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O'Donnell to lead the new commission for the first three months. After that, D. Michael Crites will take over. Crites has experience as a U. S. attorney and used to chair the old commission. Democrats picked John Lyall and Eben “Sandy” McNair IV for the new commission. Republicans chose Karl Kerschner, who is already on the old commission. One Republican spot is still open.