Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose talks to Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce members
On July 13, 2021, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose joined the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and a group of business leaders to discuss important issues that impact our region and our state’s businesses.
Despite a tumultuous year for businesses due to the pandemic, LaRose said during the roundtable, Ohioans broke records in 2020 in two key areas: voting and starting businesses. Because of the pandemic’s negative impact on businesses in 2020, seeing more businesses started than ever in a year in Ohio seemed “counterintuitive,” LaRose said, but it was evidence of something big: Ohioans are optimistic about the future.
According to the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division, Ohioans filed for 171,073 new businesses in 2020, surpassing 2019’s record of 130,621 by more than 30 percent. Those statistics track here at the Toledo Chamber; in the 2020 fiscal year the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce served over 600 businesses, shattering the previous year’s number of 350 clients. Of those 600 clients served, the SBDC assisted 50 of those clients in starting a new business and helped secure $19.2 million in capital for business startups or business expansions in our region.
According to the Ohio Secretary of State Business Services Division, Ohioans filed for 171,073 new businesses in 2020, surpassing 2019’s record of 130,621 by more than 30 percent. Those statistics track here at the Toledo Chamber; in the 2020 fiscal year the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce served over 600 businesses, shattering the previous year’s number of 350 clients. Of those 600 clients served, the SBDC assisted 50 of those clients in starting a new business and helped secure $19.2 million in capital for business startups or business expansions in our region.
Brian Dicken, Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy for the Toledo Chamber, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
However, LaRose said, before the pandemic, many Ohioans didn’t know he existed, or what exactly his job entailed. He said his school-aged daughter explained his job perfectly to her classmates.
“I help people vote and I help people start businesses,” LaRose said.
Just like in starting new businesses, Ohioans broke new records in voting and poll working in 2020. LaRose’s office knew that absentee voting and mail-in ballots would be more popular than ever in 2020, so they began preparation early. To make absentee voting easier, his office redesigned the instruction form that comes with every absentee ballot for clarity and brevity, and it paid off. LaRose said that just .42 percent of absentee ballots were filled out in error in 2020 versus one in 100 ballots with errors previously. About 60 percent of votes cast in Ohio during the general election were cast before polls opened on Nov. 3, 2020. Of the 8,073,829 registered voters in Ohio, 5,974,121 cast a vote in the 2020 presidential election, once again breaking records. This compares to the 2016 presidential election when, of the 7,861,025 registered voters, 5,607,641 cast a vote.
“I help people vote and I help people start businesses,” LaRose said.
Just like in starting new businesses, Ohioans broke new records in voting and poll working in 2020. LaRose’s office knew that absentee voting and mail-in ballots would be more popular than ever in 2020, so they began preparation early. To make absentee voting easier, his office redesigned the instruction form that comes with every absentee ballot for clarity and brevity, and it paid off. LaRose said that just .42 percent of absentee ballots were filled out in error in 2020 versus one in 100 ballots with errors previously. About 60 percent of votes cast in Ohio during the general election were cast before polls opened on Nov. 3, 2020. Of the 8,073,829 registered voters in Ohio, 5,974,121 cast a vote in the 2020 presidential election, once again breaking records. This compares to the 2016 presidential election when, of the 7,861,025 registered voters, 5,607,641 cast a vote.
LaRose and his office wanted to ensure people standing in line to vote in person on Nov. 3 were both safe and getting through the polls quickly and efficiently. Who better to consult with than the Toledo Region’s own Cedar Point? LaRose and his office met with Cedar Point to discuss line management and how they could move voters through election lines swiftly and safely. Following this meeting, election sites posted signs telling voters how long their wait would be at various points in the line and implemented changes to line management in order to ensure voters maintained appropriate social distance.
All of the line management training and preparation, however, would mean nothing if election sites weren’t adequately staffed with poll workers. His office set a goal to recruit 150 percent of the minimum number of required poll workers in each county, as he anticipated many past poll workers bowing out due to concerns related to the pandemic and being around crowds. According to LaRose, 56,789 Ohioans signed up to be poll workers during the 2020 presidential election – another record-breaking number – which broke his office’s goal of 55,165.
Though the year 2020 brought about plenty of changes, many of them unfavorable, Ohioans and the Ohio business community proved its resiliency, optimism and desire to move forward – taking with them lessons learned during a difficult year.
To learn more about the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, its work in advocacy and public policy, and hot issues and legislation, please click here.
All of the line management training and preparation, however, would mean nothing if election sites weren’t adequately staffed with poll workers. His office set a goal to recruit 150 percent of the minimum number of required poll workers in each county, as he anticipated many past poll workers bowing out due to concerns related to the pandemic and being around crowds. According to LaRose, 56,789 Ohioans signed up to be poll workers during the 2020 presidential election – another record-breaking number – which broke his office’s goal of 55,165.
Though the year 2020 brought about plenty of changes, many of them unfavorable, Ohioans and the Ohio business community proved its resiliency, optimism and desire to move forward – taking with them lessons learned during a difficult year.
To learn more about the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, its work in advocacy and public policy, and hot issues and legislation, please click here.
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