A federal judge suspends Ohio law requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

A U.S. federal court on Tuesday blocked an Ohio law that required residents to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote when applying for a driver's license. The judge ruled that the provision likely violated federal voter registration laws.

Federal Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. granted a preliminary injunction against this Ohio law, arguing that it requires more information than necessary to establish a resident's eligibility to vote. In his ruling, he reiterated that a signed attestation is sufficient proof of citizenship: "Election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to evaluate a candidate's application for registration, as a signed attestation is sufficient."

The judge also relied on a clause in the federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which stipulates that any application for a driver's license must automatically serve as an application for voter registration, unless the applicant fails to sign. Oliver clarified that Ohio must offer this registration upon filing the license application, not after validation by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). He argued that a contrary interpretation would allow states to make registration more burdensome, potentially reducing the number of registered voters.

Ohio passed a "motor-voter" law in 1995, allowing residents to register for their driver's licenses at the same time as they applied. This law was amended last year by the Republican-majority state legislature in an effort to combat allegations, notably amplified by President Donald Trump , that non-citizens were participating in elections. However, U.S. law explicitly prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

The decision represents a victory for the voting rights advocacy group Red Wine & Blue, which had sued Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, arguing that the law disenfranchised eligible voters and violated the NVRA. One of the group's lawyers, Ben Stafford of Elias Law Group, hailed it as "a victory for Ohio voters" and pointed out that, with just weeks until the registration deadline, eligible Ohioans will now be able to register with the BMV without providing unnecessary documents not required by federal law.

Frank LaRose indicated that his office disputes the decision and intends to appeal.