A Clinton-appointed federal judge has blocked Ohio from enforcing a law requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration at motor vehicle offices.
Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. issued the preliminary injunction Tuesday, August 25th, suspending the requirement just weeks before Ohio’s October 5th registration deadline for the November midterm elections. Oliver concluded the provision likely conflicts with federal law. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose immediately called for an appeal.
The lawsuit was filed by Red Wine & Blue and the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, represented by the Elias Law Group, which frequently represents the Democratic Party in federal court. The groups challenged a specific provision added to Ohio’s Motor Voter statute through House Bill 54, a transportation budget signed by Republican Governor Mike DeWine in 2025.
The disputed rule required BMV customers to present proof of citizenship, or to have previously done so, before a registrar was obligated to offer electronic voter registration during a license or ID card transaction. Acceptable documents included a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate. The requirement applied only to the BMV’s affirmative offer of voter registration, not to every method available for registering in Ohio.
According to a report, Oliver concluded that a signed statement affirming U.S. citizenship was sufficient for Ohio election officials to assess an applicant’s eligibility. His 54-page order leaned heavily on the National Voter Registration Act, the 1993 federal law known as the Motor Voter Act, which limits the voter registration portion of a license application to only the minimum information necessary to confirm eligibility and prevent duplicate registrations. Oliver wrote that Ohio’s documentary requirement goes beyond what other voter registration methods in the state accept.
The order bars BMV officials from demanding citizenship documents before offering registration to a license applicant, including someone who fails to obtain a license due to missing paperwork. It does not require officials to offer registration to anyone whose application identifies them as a noncitizen. Oliver also noted that BMV employees do not make the final registration call. That responsibility stays with state election officials.
LaRose sharply criticized the ruling. “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,” he said in an official statement. “We strongly disagree with that decision, and I’ve asked our legal team to file an immediate appeal.”
LaRose pointed to a Franklin County case involving a lawful permanent resident who voted in 2018 after a BMV clerk allegedly led her to believe she was eligible. The woman admitted she was not a citizen but was found not guilty by reason of entrapment. “The Franklin County case proves it’s not enough to just have a person’s attestation,” LaRose said. “Ohio has a constitutional requirement to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.”