Appeals Court Decision Brings Good News on Voter Registration in Ohio

Northern District of Ohio Judge Solomon Oliver put an Ohio voter registration law on hold last month, but it turns out that was not the final ruling.

On Wednesday, a 2-1 ruling from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Oliver’s ruling, reinstating a law requiring proof of citizenship before registering to vote in person at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Oliver’s ruling was appealed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, who requested a stay that was ultimately granted. He was quick to celebrate Wednesday’s decision on X.

Reporting from Reuters described the appeals court decision as “a boost for allies of President Donald Trump who want tighter voter registration rules.”

On Thursday, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, who is running as the Republican nominee to succeed the term-limited LaRose, chimed in with a quoted repost on X. He referred to the upheld law as “foundational for secure, trustworthy Ohio elections.”

The decision was also celebrated by Honest Elections Project’s Jason Snead, who also spoke to the failings of Oliver’s rulings.

“Ohio is right to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The [National Voter Registration Act] does not prevent states from taking steps to verify voter eligibility, and Ohio’s requirement is a straightforward safeguard to ensure that only citizens are registered to vote,” Snead told the Daily Signal.

“This case is yet another attempt by left-wing litigants to block commonsense election protections and create chaos in the voter registration process. Honest Elections Project applauds the 6th Circuit for reinstating Ohio’s law and allowing this basic election safeguard to remain in effect.”

His group filed a brief in the case of Red, Wine & Blue v. Frank LaRose, encouraging the appeals court to overturn Oliver’s ruling, which had cited the National Voter Registration Act.

Not only are the midterm elections just over a month away, with Ohio having many “toss-up” races, but early voting begins on Oct. 5.

“In temporarily pausing Oliver’s order, a three-judge ⁠6th Circuit panel said advocacy groups that challenged the law likely lacked standing, and that the order came too close to the election,” the Reuters report noted about the decision.

This story has been updated to clarify that Wednesday’s decision from the 6th Circuit stayed the lower court’s ruling.

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