August 4, 2026 · Ohio Election Integrity Commission · 1,670 words · 5 speakers · 38 segments
Ohio Election Integrity Commission to Order. Good morning, my name is Mike Kreitz. I'm the Ohio Secretary of State's appointed chairman of the Ohio Election Integrity Commission. I welcome you today to the special meeting of the Ohio Election Integrity Commission and now would call this meeting to order. You'll note that a court reporter will create a record of these proceedings and the Ohio Channel is streaming this meeting live on its website where it will be archived. To determine whether a quorum of the Ohio Election Integrity Commission is present, I will now call upon Ms. Riggins, who is acting as our secretary, to call the roll.
Ms. Riggins. Thank you.
Michael Kreitz. Present.
Carl Kirshner. Present. Matthew Brown. Here. Evan. Sandy McNair. Here. John Lyle. Present. Let the record reflect that a quorum is present.
The only matter before the commission this morning in this special meeting is the appointment of an interim chair to preside over any matters regarding the householder-related cases under case number 26C0020. This situation has arisen due to my recusal from any matters related to these cases. My recusal constitutes an absence and thereby necessitates appointing an interim chair to handle these matters. In accordance with the commission's operational policies, the remaining commission members must designate one of the remaining Republican members, either Commissioner Kirshner or Commissioner Brown, to act as the interim chair for these matters. If the remaining commission members cannot reach a majority vote, the Ohio Elections Integrity Commission Administrator Lisa Taylor will make the designation. This designation of an interim chair is an administrative decision necessary for the commission to conduct its business. I will now ask the remaining commission members to designate an interim chair for these matters.
Chairman, I would like to move to designate Commissioner Kirshner to serve as interim chair in all matters through completion involving case number 26C0020, Householder et al. Second.
At this point, we will do a hand vote. All those in favor?
Can we have discussion on the motion? Sure. So I would just like to, so the record's clear, review the specific cases that are in fact being, that will be handled by Commissioner Kirshner, just so the record's clear on that. Can we do that? I mean what specifically are you wanting to I mean the chair has already recused himself from these matters so I trying to figure out what that would help in this single matter that we addressing this morning Well, so my understanding, there's a constellation of cases, whatever they are, 10 cases. I think maybe nine of them have been issued on them. One is still being held in abeyance. Two weren't appealed, so that leaves seven. I just think it's important for the record to understand the specific cases that are going to be handled by Commissioner Kirshner. Do I have it right now? No. I guess my response on that would be if the chair who has recused himself from those matters would like to state that he has a conflict or not necessarily a reason for recusal, but the recusal applies to the eight cases that have been objected to. I think that would cover it, because regardless of what those cases may be, he has recused himself. So I'm just not sure what more is needed than his recusal on those matters to bring us to this point, to have to designate an interim chair. Okay. Well, I want to be clear on what... So I certainly support all of this, and Commissioner Kirshner is going to get the cases. So my questions have nothing to do with where we're ultimately going, but I want to be clear. I mean, I have a list of what I think the cases are, and I'm happy to read those into the record. I'm happy to have somebody tell me that that's not correct. I believe an e-mail was sent out with that, so probably what you have is correct, and if you would like to read that into the record, I'm sure that would be fine. Okay, I don't remember getting an e-mail about what the specific cases were, but the cases I have are... Ms. Ricketts, do I need to leave the table?
I would say not, since this is an administrative situation.
So I just want to make sure the record's clear. Right. All I'm doing is administrative stuff. I'm not questioning the merits of anything. So I have the friends of Larry Householder. I have Larry Householder himself. I have Jeff Longstreth. I have Constant Content Company. I have Generation Now, Inc. I have Growth and Opportunity PAC Inc I have the Coalition for Growth and Opportunity Inc and I have Hard Ohioans Inc Those eight cases. I believe that's correct. Okay. And then... I would like... Well, so what I want to do before we leave today is I want to get some sense of what we as commissioners are going to have to be dealing with these eight cases. So I'm happy to call the motion and take the vote, but I don't want us to leave before I get some idea, that we all get some idea about what is facing us with respect to these eight cases. Because I'm very concerned about the deadline in terms of when we have to issue a decision under the statute. Because the statute doesn't talk about what happens if we miss that deadline, so we have to make that deadline. And that deadline's coming up. I mean, sooner than we all think, I think. I think what you're describing is outside of the scope of what the purpose of this special meeting is. this special meeting today is just solely to appoint or designate an interim chair, not to discuss facts behind cases, not to discuss any other matters. It's basically this is it. Special meetings are solely for, in this case, the single purpose of choosing the interim chair. So that would be outside. We've not given notice that there would be discussion of what you're asking about. So, no, it would be totally inappropriate. Even though what I'm asking about is just administrative things relating to these cases? It has not been noticed that there would be any discussion about that. So we are prohibited. We cannot do anything other than choose, designate the interim chair. Okay. Thank you for that. And if I may, I think, I mean, technically we are currently chairless on these matters. so I think we need to vote on the motion so that we can have a chair that will then can guide us through the subsequent hearings, set schedules, and do all of the administrative things so these matters can be brought to the commission. But right now I think what we need to do first is make sure we have that chair lined up. Yeah, I just didn't want us to have that vote and then leave without having any opportunity to talk about what the schedule is going to be or anything.
But as I understand from counsel,
that would be inappropriate anyway at this meeting?
I mean, it would. Any scheduling would be with the hearing officer assigned to the matter. So, I mean, that would not be, that would be an issue for that person once they're appointed to handle that.
Yeah but what about our schedules You are not present for the hearing with the hearing office Okay fair point I understand that But we are going to ultimately consider the report and recommendation or recommendations
I don't want to prejudge that.
And then we're going to then, I mean, these are eight cases. They're going to come before us, presumably. They're going to have an opportunity to argue to the extent that they disagree with that report and recommendation. They're going to have the opportunity. So all that comes before us, right?
It would not come to you until there's a report and recommendation for you.
Okay, I understand that, but I'm asking, can we talk about our schedules to deal with that report and recommendation? mindful that we have roughly a November 23 deadline by which everything has to be done.
Okay. And again, my response back, with all due respect, is that that's not a matter to be discussed at this meeting, at the next regular general meeting. That could be something that could come up.
Okay, fine. I just wanted to get clarification on that. Okay, thank you. Okay, I'm ready.
Okay. Thank you.
I believe the motion still stands. to appoint Commissioner Kirshner as interim chair for the, through the case is 26C0020, Householder et al. That motion still stands and it's been seconded by Commissioner Ebert.
Yes, and the cases that I've identified, because there are other cases that have that number that aren't part of this motion. That's what I wanted to be clear about.
The motion is for all of case number 26-C-0020. It would apply to all, regardless. We don't need to parse and pick out.
That had been appealed?
Yes.
Objective to yes.
Okay. So we're ready for a hand vote. Those in favor?
Am I an appropriate voting party?
Yes. Okay. Okay, so I see four in favor. Those opposed, no opposed. If there is a majority, motion passes. Commissioner Kirshner will serve as the interim chair in all matters through completion involving case number 26C0020, Householder et al. Chairman Freitz.
Thank you very much.
I'd ask once more that the record reflect my recusal from participation in that discussion. With the appointment of an interim chair to handle these matters being the only matter on the agenda for this special meeting, there is no further business to conduct, so is there a motion to adjourn?
I'll move to adjourn.
Do we have a second?
Second.
All in favor of the motion, aye.
Aye.
Opposed, same sign. Motion carries. We are adjourned.