Voter Registration Battle Taking Place in Ohio Ahead of Midterms

As the November elections approach, a recent court case is shaking up the secretary of state race in Ohio. On Tuesday, Northern District of Ohio Judge Solomon Oliver put on hold a state law that requires proof of citizenship for those wishing to register in person at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, citing the National Voter Registration Act

Among those reacting to the decision are candidates running to oversee Ohio’s elections, including Republican Robert Sprague.

The Sprague for Secretary of State campaign manager, Dalton Throckmorton, provided a statement for the Daily Signal targeting state Rep. Allison Russo, the Democrat nominee for Ohio secretary of state.

“In addition to this liberal activist judge telling Ohio it cannot check for citizenship, Allison Russo is fighting photo ID in elections and voted against legislation to prevent illegal aliens from voting in Ohio elections. Democrats have a plan to dismantle election security in this state, which is precisely why we need to put photo ID in Ohio’s Constitution with Issue 3,” he said, referring to an initiative on the ballot for voters this November.

Dennis Willard, communications director for Russo’s campaign, responded to the Daily Signal, while also highlighting parts of Oliver’s decision.

“Mr. Sprague once again has his facts wrong and is attempting to confuse the public. Citizenship is already checked for new voter registrations, and this decision does not change this. The issue here is about the BMV not offering voter registration to all eligible applicants, not just those who get a driver’s license and happen to show up with extra paperwork,” Willard said.

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“Judge Oliver, in his opinion, emphasized this by writing: ‘To interpret this section of the NVRA otherwise would allow States to make registering to vote at the BMV more onerous, and could result in fewer voter registrations because the opportunity to apply was not proactively offered to otherwise eligible citizens.’ Mr. Sprague, do you really want to deny eligible citizens the right to register to vote?”

Sprague also shared a video message on X highlighting a 2022 ballot initiative that passed with close to 77% of the vote, ensuring that only citizens can vote. He also took issue with the “activist judge,” calling the decision “crazy” and claiming “it violates the Ohio Constitution.”

“I can tell you that the far left wants to systematically dismantle all of our election security features,” Sprague continued, as he promoted his campaign.

The ruling comes just over two months before the November midterms, with an Oct. 5 deadline for voter registration, though reporting from the Statehouse News Bureau notes another ruling could come before then. Ohio voters will head to the polls in many key statewide and federal races, including a governor’s race and a U.S. Senate special election, both of which are rated “Toss-Up.”

Plaintiffs in the case had argued that Ohio’s requirements are “preempted by the National Voter Registration Act because it exceeds ‘the minimum amount of information necessary’ to assess an applicant’s eligibility to vote,” as highlighted by Oliver’s opinion.

Oliver’s decision, referencing voter registration rates after the National Voter Registration Act passed in 1993, also known as the “Motor Voter Law,” noted that “between the 2022 and 2024 general elections, more than 103 million registration transactions were processed, with motor vehicle offices accounting for nearly one-third of those.”

Oliver’s ruling mentions House Bill 54, with the Statehouse News Bureau pointing out that the requirement was added to a state transportation budget that was signed in March 2025 and went into effect three months later.

“Why are they requiring more red tape just to register to vote than is required if you register, say, online?” Katie Paris of Red Wine and Blue, a plaintiff in the case, is quoted as saying. “This is a huge problem because one-third of Ohio voters actually do register through the BMV.” The proof of citizenship requirement is not in place for those registering online.

“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,” Paris continued, echoing an oft-used argument against voter integrity efforts, such as requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the defendant in the case, announced on the same day as the court’s decision that he plans to appeal. LaRose is term-limited and is now the Republican nominee for state auditor.

“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,” said LaRose. “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.”

LaRose’s announcement also expressed concerns about noncitizens registering to vote in Ohio, warning of a case in Franklin County, and how it “proves the process required under the federal court’s decision does not work.”

The case involved an Ohio woman admitting to voting illegally in 2018 as a lawful permanent resident after “a BMV clerk, a government official, told her to register.” She was found not guilty by entrapment, with the woman knowing she was not a citizen when she voted, but the BMV employee misled her.

“The Franklin County case proves it’s not enough to just have a person’s attestation,” said LaRose. “Ohio has a constitutional requirement to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.”