Judge allows purge of voters from Ohio rolls to begin

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A federal judge says there should be no delay in purging 235,000 people from Ohio’s voter registration rolls.

The Columbus Dispatch reports U.S. District Judge James Graham ruled Tuesday the Ohio Democratic Party is unlikely to prevail in its lawsuit to stop Secretary of State Frank LaRose from removing voters who haven’t cast ballots in six years and failed to respond to notices seeking to verify where they live.

Democrats filed suit Friday after The Dispatch reported a vendor working with county election boards had mistakenly flagged 1,600 names to be purged.

Graham’s ruling says LaRose has been transparent in releasing information and is obligated to maintain accurate voting records.

State Democratic Party Executive Director Greg Beswick says it’s “disturbing” the purge will continue this week.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com