Federal Judge Blocks Ohio Voter Citizenship Verification Law, Sparking State Appeal

An Ohio federal judge has blocked implementation of a state law mandating that voter registration applicants submit photo identification proving citizenship status. Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. issued the stay on Tuesday, determining the requirement conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act, the 1993 federal law commonly known as the Motor Voter Act.

The ruling permits Ohio voters to register without providing a passport, driver’s license, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate. In his decision, Oliver wrote that the state cannot require documentary proof of citizenship when the Motor Voter Act allows registration using only the information provided during driver’s license applications, which already request citizenship status through signed attestation.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced plans to appeal the decision immediately, asserting the state possesses constitutional authority to verify that only U.S. citizens vote. LaRose cited a 2018 case involving an Ohio woman who illegally voted as a lawful permanent resident after a Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee allegedly encouraged her registration, arguing that attestation alone proves insufficient.

The case, Red Wine & Blue v. the Ohio Secretary of State, centered on whether House Bill 54’s citizenship documentation requirement duplicates information already collected during the driver’s license registration process, potentially violating federal mandates designed to expand voter participation.