Chelsea Clark is seeking election to Ohio Secretary of State.

Why are you running for office, and what previous experience makes you the most qualified candidate for the position?

Our right to vote and to free and fair elections is under a bigger threat now than it has been in a generation. The radical right knows it can’t win unless it changes the rules. We need a champion who understands the stakes, and will be the voice of the hundreds of thousands that Frank LaRose and the Republicans are trying to silence. I’m running to be a Secretary of State who prioritizes ballot access and makes it easier to safely and legally cast a vote, not harder. I’m running to fight for a system that actually represents the voters of every community of this state, not allowing politicians to draw themselves into distorted supermajorities. But most of all, I’m running because as a young Black woman, a mother, and a successful small business owner, I don’t see myself in our state government. I see people like Frank LaRose who are only focused on consolidating their own power and looking out for the rich and well-connected. I want to bring power back to the people who expect their government to work for them.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in this position?

I have many different plans for what I will do as Ohio Secretary of State. Boiling it down to a few main objectives, my first priority is actually using the power of the office to increase access to the ballot box for voters. Under my opponent, we've been made to believe simple changes that would benefit the majority of Ohio voters has to be approved by the legislature, or go through litigation to become even a possibility. Once elected, I will lead the charge on the issues my office has the power to change. I'll point to the expansion of ballot drop boxes as an example. This is something in the control of the Secretary of State, popular among voters, and would only serve as a benefit to their fundamental right to vote. We've watched excuse after excuse as to why the current Secretary of State can't or won't expand drop boxes. One of my top priorities is showing Ohioans the importance and power of this office, demonstrating what it's like to have a Secretary of State that not only listens but actively serves them and not their political party, and carrying out the will of the voters.

My goal is to prioritize fairness, accessibility, and efficiency at every level of this office. We need a Secretary of State who will will administer this at the ballot box, but also cut red tape and other obstacles to make it easier to start a business in our state.

What are three policy initiatives you plan to focus on?

For years, state leaders have been trying to make it harder to vote. Ohio was once a leader in voting rights, but now we only make news when politicians engage in voter suppression. We need a Secretary of State who will prioritize fairness, accessibility, and efficiency at the ballot box.

As Secretary of State, I will end the disastrous policy of partisan voter purges. We need to maintain clean voter rolls, but we've seen far too many errors with the current process and it targets certain demographics over others. I'll ensure we have clean, accurate rolls but I don't support the "use it or lose it" policy that's in place now.

I will also increase voter participation by expanding automatic voter registration, and introduce same-day registration. We use to have a period of time called "Golden Week" in Ohio, where you could show up to your early vote location, complete your voter registration, and cast your ballot all in the same day. In order to encourage participation in our Democracy, we need to use every avenue to allow people to engage. It starts with expanding automatic voter registration and allowing same-day voter registration.

I also plan to allow online absentee ballot requests, and create an opt-in for voters to automatically receive mail ballots. In 2022, our elections processes should be caught up with our modern technology. As absentee voting increasingly becomes more popular with voters in Ohio, I will further support this method of voting by modernizing the process and making it more accessible to everyone.

For more on my plans, you can visit my website as well.

Young people are leaving Ohio following graduation at an alarming rate. Several factors contribute to this, including lower wages, a lack of good paying jobs, and college affordability. What can be done to support young Ohioans to keep them, and their talent, in our state?

The office of the Secretary of State handles incorporation and filings for all businesses in Ohio. There are so many people who are interested in starting a business, but don't have the tools they need to get there. Through my business, I learned hard lessons. I learned about entrepreneurship in a way that you only can from behind the wheel, and our current system doesn't make it easy to start small and micro businesses. By modernizing and creating efficiency in the bureaucracy of this process, we can encourage young people to start their businesses here in Ohio by ensuring they have the resources and support they need to do so. I will work with the Department of Commerce, Ohio Treasurer’s Office, and local authorities to make sure businesses have a one-stop-shop for all they need to operate in Ohio, and create an Office of Entrepreneurship to support this as well.

Will you support nondiscrimination policies that protect individuals regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression? If so, how?

Absolutely. This will be a priority in my office and across the Boards of Election offices as well. My office will also develop specific resources for Veteran, Minority, and Women Owned Businesses. Currently, the Secretary of States office doesn't offer enough of these assets.

What can the state of Ohio be doing to ensure racial equity and eliminating bias in community policing?

First, we need to focus on electing leaders who acknowledge there is implicit bias within our law enforcement agencies and aim to help eliminate it. Without being able to raise awareness about this issue because some elected officials aren't willing to see the problem, we will have more of a challenge in eliminating it. As a councilwoman, I've focused on transforming the conversation between law enforcement and my community. Our police department has focused on hiring from within the community in hopes of creating the conditions between the department and community that can reduce implicit bias among officers. I've seen some departments in Ohio experiment with community contracts where residents can express their expectations and while I'm unsure of how beneficial it has turned out to be so far, I believe creating space for this conversation and an understanding of what safety looks like to both parties can help lead to eliminating bias in community policing.

Do you support reasonable regulations on firearms in the United States? Please explain in detail.

Yes, I do. I don't need to tell you folks the importance of this, but we've got to step up and do more to end gun violence. I personally support more extensive background checks, banning assault weapons & high-capacity magazines, banning firearms from schools and other public buildings, etc;. There isn't anything I wouldn't consider supporting personally to help put an end to gun violence.

Affordability of health care is one of the most pressing issues facing Ohioans. The quality of care received by patients also remains inequitable, with significant differences in services provided and treatment outcomes by race, income, and geography. What will you do to improve health care access and outcomes for Ohioans?

The Secretary of State has very little, if any, authority over this issue. However, I will actively support my colleagues in the statehouse and other public officials across the state who lead the fight for equitable, affordable heath care access in Ohio.

Reproductive Health & Education

Please respond "YES" or "NO" to the following questions/statements regarding reproductive health and education:

Do you believe that all individuals should have the right to access safe, legal, confidential and affordable abortion and reproductive health care services?

Yes

Do you oppose attempts to undermine Roe v. Wade through legislation that creates separate legal rights for fetuses distinct from those of a pregnant individual?

Yes

Do you support policies to expand access to contraception, such as requiring insurance companies to cover all federally approved contraceptive methods?

Yes

Do you support comprehensive (age appropriate), medically accurate sex education in schools that is inclusive of resources surrounding contraception, sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), HIV/AIDS, consent and LGBTQ+ identities?

Yes

Ohio's 237,000 chronically ill medical cannabis patients are faced with countless burdens and roadblocks, many of which stem from mismanagement by the three entities governing Ohio's existing program. How would you support improving this process?

Climate & Clean Energy

Please respond "YES" or "NO" to the following questions/statements regarding climate and clean energy:

Do you recognize the existence of climate change?

Yes

Do you believe the government has a responsibility to respond to climate change?

Yes

Do you support our state government incentivizing the adoption of clean/renewable energy sources over the use of fossil fuels?

Yes

Do you commit to using a union bug on all print materials?

Yes