Federal Judge Halts Ohio’s Citizenship Proof Rule for Voting
A United States federal judge has temporarily stopped a new voting law in Ohio. This law asked people to show proof of US citizenship when registering to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). They would do this while getting a driver’s license.
US District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. issued a temporary order on Tuesday. He said the Ohio law likely broke a federal voting act. This act is the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The judge explained the Ohio law asked for more proof than necessary. It checked if a person could vote.
Judge Oliver wrote that election officers do not need extra documents. A signed statement saying someone is a citizen is enough, he confirmed.
The judge also noted a rule in the federal act. It says a driver’s license application should also be a voter registration form. This is true for federal elections. An applicant only needs to sign the voter registration part.
Ohio must offer people the chance to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license. The judge said this should happen at the time of application. It should not happen after the state approves the driver’s license.
He added that not offering registration then would make it harder to vote. Fewer people might register to vote this way. Eligible citizens might lose the chance to apply.
Ohio first passed a “motor-voter” law in 1995. This law let people register to vote when they applied for a driver’s license. But last year, Ohio lawmakers changed this law. Republicans, who control the state legislature, amended it. They did this because of claims that non-citizens were voting. These claims were unproven. US law prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections.
The judge’s decision is a victory for voting rights groups. One group, Red Wine & Blue, sued Ohio’s secretary of state, Frank LaRose. They said the law stopped eligible voters from registering. They claimed it violated the NVRA.
Ben Stafford, a lawyer for the group, praised the ruling. He called it a win for Ohio voters. He said eligible Ohioans can now register to vote at the BMV. They will not need extra paperwork that federal law does not require. The deadline for registration is just weeks away.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office disagrees with the decision. He stated that his office will appeal the ruling.
