The entrepreneurial spirit of Ohioans and modernizing elections were two things Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose spoke about during a legislative roundtable at the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce on Monday. (video below)

LaRose said 2020 was a record-shattering year for new business creation in Ohio with more than 170,000 new businesses created through the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.

“To me that’s a fundamental statement of optimism,” LaRose told WFIN News.

“It tells me that Ohio’s entrepreneurs are doing what they do best, they’re finding creative ways to serve their customers in the free market and to create wealth and opportunities for their communities.”

LaRose said, while the 2020 election was the most successful in Ohio even under difficult circumstances, the state will not be resting on its laurels.

He spoke about two things he’s been working on to modernize Ohio’s elections.

One is creating an online absentee ballot request and the other is to improve the state’s voter registration process.

“We want to automate this process with the BMV locations. When you go in to get your driver’s license, we want to make that a more automated process so it happens seamlessly right there at the counter.”

One of the viewers of the Chamber’s roundtable event with LaRose asked him when we’ll be able to vote online and on our phones.

He said that’s a ways off and requires two things — competence and confidence.

LaRose elaborates on that and much more in the video below.