The state will appeal a federal judge’s ruling against a law requiring Ohioans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The law is on hold for now, but another ruling could come down before voter registration ends Oct. 5.
The requirement was added to the state transportation budget and signed in March 2025, and took effect three months later. Showing proof of citizenship isn’t required for online voter registration.
Northern District of Ohio Judge Solomon Oliver wrote the law conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act, and makes registering at the BMV more onerous which could lead to fewer registrations.
Oliver added that the state law "also conflicts with the Act by statutorily requiring applicants to produce documentary proof of citizenship before registering to vote simultaneously with their driver’s license application," Oliver added. "That proof of citizenship requirement is more than the signed attestation to U.S. citizenship that Ohio’s other voter registration methods accept."
The left-leaning group Red, Wine and Blue filed the lawsuit, and said it's committed to fighting the law, which is on hold at the judge's order.
“Why are they requiring more red tape just to register to vote than is required if you register, say, online?" said Katie Paris of Red Wine and Blue, which filed the lawsuit. "This is a huge problem because one-third of Ohio voters actually do register through the BMV."
Paris added: "This is creating a huge barrier, one that would impact women whose current names don't match old documents due to marriage or divorce, elderly voters who might have lost or never had the right papers, students living away from home, and rural voters who may not have easy access to their records or local offices."
The state plans to appeal.
"Under this order, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles would be required to offer a voter registration form to a person who’s applying for a driver’s license, even if that person can't verify that they're a citizen,” Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the defendant in the case, said in a statement. "We strongly disagree with that decision, and I’ve asked our 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.”
