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- Caroline Mercer via fox - Most Popular
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Ohio judge blocks voter citizenship proof law, state files appeal
ReOhio judge blocks voter citizenship proof law, state files appeal
A federal judge in Ohio has blocked a state law requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, citing a conflict with federal motor-voter rules. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced an immediate appeal.
A federal judge in Ohio has blocked enforcement of a state law requiring voter registrants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, prompting an immediate appeal from state officials. Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., appointed during the Clinton administration, issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday against the requirement, ruling that it conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
The decision halts a provision of Ohio House Bill 54 that would have required anyone applying for or renewing a driver's license to produce proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate, before being offered the opportunity to register to vote. Under the injunction, Ohioans can again register to vote without presenting those documents.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office disagrees with the ruling and has instructed its legal team to file an immediate appeal. "I will vigorously defend our legal authority to safeguard our voter rolls and protect the integrity of Ohio's elections," LaRose said in a statement.
The case, Red Wine & Blue v. the Ohio Secretary of State, centers on whether the state's new requirements duplicate information already collected under the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as the Motor Voter Act. That 1993 law, signed by President Bill Clinton, directs states to offer voter registration through driver's license applications and prohibits requiring information that duplicates what is already on the license form.
Judge Oliver concluded that because driver's license applications already ask about citizenship status, demanding additional documentary proof is redundant. "Election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to assess a voter registration applicant's citizenship because signed attestation of citizenship is enough," he wrote in the decision.
The National Voter Registration Act does not explicitly forbid states from requiring proof of citizenship, but Oliver determined that Ohio's approach went beyond what the federal framework allows. The ruling is the latest development in a broader national debate over state-level voting requirements designed to prevent non-citizens from participating in U.S. elections.
LaRose pushed back against the court's reasoning, citing a recent Ohio case in which a lawful permanent resident admitted to voting illegally in 2018. According to LaRose, the woman said a Bureau of Motor Vehicles clerk told her to register, and a judge found her not guilty by reason of entrapment. "The Franklin County case proves it's not enough to just have a person's attestation," LaRose said. "Ohio has a constitutional requirement to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections."
The appeal will now move to a higher court, where the fate of Ohio's citizenship documentation requirement will be decided. The case has drawn attention as states across the country consider stricter voter identification and citizenship verification measures ahead of future election cycles.
