By Isabel Conforme-Coello
Correspondent
A federal judge temporarily blocked Ohio from requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote at motor vehicle offices Aug. 2.
In a 54 page opinion, U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. ruled that Ohio’s new proof-of-citizenship requirement likely violates the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to request only “the minimum amount of information necessary” for voter registration, according to The Hill.
Oliver found that the state’s revised “motor voter” process demands more documentation than Ohio’s other registration methods, which rely on a signed attestation of U.S. citizenship. His injunction halts enforcement of the rule ahead of the Oct. 5 voter registration deadline for the fall midterm elections, ABC News reported.
The provision was added in 2025 when Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 54, which requires individuals to present a passport, birth certificate or other citizenship document when registering to vote while applying for a driver’s license or state ID.
The law sparked a lawsuit from Red Wine & Blue and the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, which argued the requirement was preempted by the NVRA and created barriers for eligible voters who may lack certified documents, according to NBC4.
Oliver also found that Ohio’s motor voter system has improperly limited registration opportunities to individuals who successfully obtain a driver’s license, rather than offering voter registration to everyone who submits an application, as federal law requires, ABC News reported. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he “strongly” disagreed with the ruling and would immediately 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,” LaRose said in a statement to The Hill.
LaRose pointed to a Franklin County case in which a lawful permanent resident voted illegally in 2018 after a Bureau of Motor Vehicles clerk mistakenly told her she could register. A judge later found her not guilty by reason of entrapment, NBC4 reported.
Oliver’s order prevents Ohio from requiring any driver’s license applicant to produce citizenship documents before being offered the chance to register to vote, including applicants who are ultimately denied a license for lacking proper paperwork. The injunction does not apply to individuals who indicate they are not U.S. citizens, according to ABC News.
Ohio is among several states implementing proof-of-citizenship requirements for the first time this year, alongside South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Arizona already requires citizenship documentation for state and local elections, ABC News reported.
