Ohio's election integrity is in the spotlight after Black Fork Strategies, a political fieldwork firm, was linked to fraudulent voter registrations across multiple counties. The company, responsible for handling voter engagement, is under investigation following the submission of suspicious forms, including one under the name of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
With concerns rising about the firm's practices, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has referred the case to county prosecutors, prompting broader discussions on the state's electoral safeguards.
Earlier this year, Cincinnati-area voters Cassandra and Harry Scott were surprised to receive notifications of a change in their voter registration, even though they hadn’t moved. The Hamilton County Board of Elections had received registration forms for them from Black Fork Strategies LLC, an Ohio-based electoral fieldwork firm. The changes were made in the voter rolls and notifications sent out, which prompted the Scotts to visit the board office to clarify the situation.
The registration forms for the Scotts were flagged as suspicious, one of many such cases connected to Black Fork Strategies. The Board of Elections reached out to the company, which provided information on the canvasser responsible. Among the questionable submissions was a registration form under the name Henry Kissinger, which was quickly identified as fraudulent. Board staff met with Black Fork’s regional manager to discuss these irregularities, including a large stack of voter registrations that appeared to be written in the same handwriting.
Hamilton County Board of Elections member Alex Triantafilou labeled the issue outright fraud, stating that the consistent handwriting across multiple forms suggested a clear attempt to manipulate the election process. These concerns have emerged not only in Hamilton County but across Ohio, with voter registration issues tied to Black Fork Strategies surfacing in multiple counties.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred suspected election law violations to 20 county prosecutors, including allegations of fraudulent petition forms and voter registrations like those in Hamilton County. Black Fork Strategies has also come under scrutiny in Cuyahoga County, where suspicious registrations were submitted, including forms from deceased individuals. LaRose’s Public Integrity Division is investigating these cases, although some critics argue the process is too slow.
Black Fork Strategies has denied involvement in fraudulent activities, claiming they are cooperating with investigations and providing information about former canvassers. The company, owned by veteran organizer Kirk Noden, focuses on voter engagement and other campaign activities. Despite their assurances, the ongoing investigations continue to raise concerns about the integrity of Ohio’s election processes.
Election integrity advocates have called for a more thorough investigation into not just individual canvassers but the company itself. However, LaRose’s office has limited authority to take action without further legislative support. Meanwhile, critics continue to push for more robust protections against potential noncitizen registration and other vulnerabilities in the state’s election system.
