Brunner calls on Blackwell to stop giving out S.S. numbers

Jennifer Brunner, the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, in reaction to an article published in today’s Cincinnati Enquirer that reported Blackwell published the Social Security numbers of Ohioans on his state office website, said “Just wait until Ohioans have to provide the last four digits of their social security number to be able to vote absentee or a provisional ballot, and watch the mess unfold.”

“The Secretary of State’s office is the centralized keeper of information for the State of Ohio. It’s imperative that Ohioans’ private information be kept safely. The Secretary of State is responsible for maintaining the business and voting records of the state. Perhaps if the Ohio Secretary of State minded the business of taking care of the state’s records and elections instead of campaigning for issues and other candidates, Ohio citizens might not be living in fear of identity theft,” said Brunner.

“This private information has been subject to public disclosure has jeopardized the privacy of countless law abiding Ohio citizens, subjecting them to being preyed upon by identity thieves. With the haphazard practices of the current Secretary of State, when H.B. 3 takes effect, will this number increase to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans?” said Brunner.

Brunner cited two new laws:

- H.B. 234, requiring for absentee ballots either a copy of a photo identification or other supporting document (such as a bank statement or utility bill) or divulging the last four digits of an individual’s social security number, which took effect in January, and

- H.B. 3, requiring the same kind of identification for in-person voting at the polls, except a partial security number is necessary to vote a provisional ballot (not a regular ballot) if other forms of identification are not available, which provisions take effect June 1, 2006.

Jennifer Brunner, a former Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge, is a Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. She is recognized statewide for her expertise and experience in election law, and she was a Deputy Director and Legislative Counsel in the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

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