Secretary LaRose to appeal federal court decision in voter registration case

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced this week that he will work with state attorneys to file an immediate appeal of a federal district court order enjoining a portion of Ohio’s motor voter law. 

"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 Secretary 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.”

A recent court case in Franklin County proves the process required under the federal court’s decision does not work. Earlier this year, an Ohio woman admitted to voting illegally as a lawful permanent resident in 2018 because, according to the judge in the case, "a BMV clerk, a government official, told her to register.” The court found her not guilty by reason of entrapment. The judge specifically noted that the voter admitted she knew she was not a citizen when she voted, but he found that the BMV employee misled her into violating the law by implying she was eligible to vote.

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