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On the morning of June 11, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC)<\/a>, a grassroots pro-democracy organization focused on registration, civic engagement and community organizing for marginalized communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Agents seized documents and computer files and questioned staff members for several hours, according to reports<\/a>. Investigators also contacted employees and community leaders at their homes, workplaces and schools. While some agents reportedly carried subpoenas<\/a> and asked questions<\/a> related to voter fraud, officials have not publicly explained the specific focus<\/a> of the investigation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For voting rights advocates, the search immediately raised alarms\u2014not only about the investigation itself, but about its potential chilling effect on voter registration and civic participation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mission<\/a> of the OOC is to build power among everyday Ohioans through racial, social and economic justice organizing. In the aftermath of the raid, many local leaders and voting rights advocates expressed concern<\/a> that the investigation could discourage voter registration and civic participation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n In response, the Ohio Democracy Defense Project launched the #HandsOffOhio<\/a> campaign, calling the FBI operation \u201cintimidation\u201d rather than legitimate law enforcement. <\/p>\n \u201cThe \u2018crime\u2019 in question? Registering hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters,\u201d organizers wrote in a public statement. \u201cThe Ohio Organizing Collaborative has worked for nearly 20 years to expand the electorate in Ohio. That\u2019s not a threat to democracy. That is<\/em> democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n