US judge blocks Ohio law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote

A United States federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a recently enacted Ohio law that mandated proof of U.S. citizenship for residents seeking to register to vote while applying for a driver's license. U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. ruled on Tuesday that the law likely contravenes the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

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Election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to assess a voter registration applicant’s citizenship because signed attestation of citizenship is enough.

Judge Oliver stated that the law requires more documentation than is necessary to verify a resident's eligibility to vote. He explained that election officials can determine citizenship through a signed attestation, as provided for in the NVRA, which allows a driver's license application to serve as a voter registration application unless the applicant declines. The judge emphasized that Ohio must offer the opportunity to register to vote when individuals submit their driver's license applications, rather than after the application is approved by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

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To interpret this section of the NVRA otherwise would allow States to make registering to vote at the BMV more onerous, and could result in fewer voter registrations because the opportunity to apply was not proactively offered to otherwise eligible citizens.

This ruling is a victory for voting rights organizations, such as Red Wine & Blue, which had sued Ohio's Secretary of State, Frank LaRose. The plaintiffs argued that the law disenfranchised eligible voters and violated federal regulations. Ben Stafford, an attorney for the plaintiffs, called the decision a "win for Ohio voters," ensuring that eligible residents can register at the BMV without needing to provide superfluous paperwork.

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a win for Ohio voters.

Ohio Republicans enacted the law last year, partly in response to claims, amplified by then-President Donald Trump, that noncitizens were voting in state elections. U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Despite the ruling, Secretary of State LaRose indicated that his office disagrees with the decision and intends to appeal.

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With the registration deadline just weeks away, eligible Ohioans will now have the opportunity to register to vote at the BMV without having to produce unnecessary paperwork that is not required by federal law.