Federal judge blocks Ohio proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration

Aug 25, 2026

U.S. District Court Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. has temporarily blocked Ohio from enforcing its new requirement that voter registration applicants at motor vehicle offices show proof of citizenship. The judge ruled the law conflicts with the federal National Voter Registration Act. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose strongly criticized the decision and pledged an immediate appeal, while progressive groups celebrated the suspension of the rule ahead of the October 5, 2026 midterm registration deadline.

Ohio citizenship requirement blocked

▪The lawsuit challenging Ohio's proof-of-citizenship requirement was brought by the Elias Law Group on behalf of the Ohio Alliance of Retired Americans and Red Wine & Blue.
▪U.S. District Court Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. temporarily blocked Ohio from enforcing a requirement that voters show proof of citizenship when registering to vote at motor vehicle offices.

National Voter Registration Act conflict

▪Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. ruled that Ohio's proof-of-citizenship requirement likely conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act because it demands more than the minimum amount of information necessary.
▪The federal injunction suspends Ohio's proof-of-citizenship documentation requirement ahead of the October 5, 2026 registration deadline for the fall midterm elections.

Motor voter law violations

▪Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the amended state motor voter statute requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship at motor vehicle offices in 2025.
▪Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. found that Ohio's motor voter process illegally limited voter registration to those who successfully obtain a driver's license, rather than offering it to all applicants.

Republican appeal plans

▪Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose strongly disagreed with the federal court ruling and announced that his legal team would file an immediate appeal.
▪Frank LaRose cited a 2018 Franklin County case where an ineligible lawful permanent resident voted after being mistakenly guided by a Bureau of Motor Vehicles clerk to argue the court-ordered process fails.

Multi-state citizenship laws

▪South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming also enacted new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration in effect for the first time in 2026, while Arizona already had one for state and local elections.
▪The League of Women Voters and a Sioux Falls voter filed a lawsuit on August 25, 2026, challenging South Dakota's new proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirement.

Trump federal voting legislation

▪President Donald Trump has pushed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote nationwide.
▪A March 2025 University of Maryland study estimates that 21.3 million eligible American voters lack documentary proof of citizenship or easy access to such documents.