Federal Judge Blocks Ohio Proof-of-Citizenship Voter Registration Law

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Ohio from enforcing a new law requiring residents to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, a decision that comes just weeks before the state's registration deadline for the November midterm elections. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. in Cleveland halts a requirement that took effect this year, marking a significant legal setback for Ohio's Republican-led effort to tighten voter registration rules.

In his preliminary injunction, Judge Oliver found that Ohio's requirement likely conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, a federal law designed to expand voter registration opportunities. The judge wrote that the state cannot condition the offer to register on whether an applicant successfully obtains a driver's license, and that requiring documents such as a birth certificate or passport exceeds the information necessary to determine eligibility. Oliver stated that a signed attestation of citizenship, which Ohio already accepts through other registration methods, is sufficient for election officials to assess an applicant's eligibility.