A federal judge in the United States on Tuesday (August 25) blocked the implementation of a new law in Ohio that requires voters to provide photo identification when registering to vote, in order to prove their citizenship.
The ruling was made by Solomon Oliver Jr., a federal district judge in Ohio appointed by former Democratic President Clinton. Oliver granted a preliminary injunction requested by the plaintiffs, delaying the implementation of the law signed last year by Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine. The reason cited was that he believed the law conflicted with requirements under federal law.
In his ruling, Oliver stated that he based his decision on an amendment to Ohio House Bill 54, which requires individuals to present proof of citizenship when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. Therefore, when these licenses are used for voter registration purposes, additional proof of citizenship is not necessary.
The judge’s decision means that Ohio voters can once again register to vote without having a passport, valid driver’s license, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate.
Advocacy groups, including the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, challenged Ohio’s new law, arguing that it created unnecessary barriers to voter registration and violated the 1993 federal National Voter Registration Act. This act aims to expand voter registration, including a provision requiring states to offer voter registration opportunities to residents when applying for a driver’s license.
Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced on Tuesday that his office would appeal the ruling.
“Only American citizens should be on our voter rolls, that’s just common sense,” LaRose said in a statement. “We strongly disagree with this decision and I have instructed our legal team to appeal immediately. I will vigorously defend our authority to lawfully maintain the voter rolls and protect the integrity of Ohio elections.”
(The above article is adapted from a report by Fox News)