Ohio election boss wants proof of citizenship to register to vote

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wants the Legislature to allow him to require proof of citizenship on voter registration forms following a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Both state and federal laws already make it illegal for noncitizens to vote to vote in federal and state elections.

In a letter to letter to state legislative leaders in the House and Senate, LaRose asked for legislative action to require proof of citizenship to register to vote.

"American elections are only for American citizens. This is common sense and it's also the law. Despite roadblocks and lack of support from the federal government, Ohio has led the way in removing noncitizens from the voter rolls and referring those who violate the law to prosecutors," LaRose said. "Following a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court, we now have the opportunity to require front-end citizenship verification prior to a registration being processed. This would be a great step forward for future elections, and I'm asking the Ohio General Assembly to pass legislation further protecting the integrity of Ohio's elections."

Ohio law gives the Secretary of State exclusive authority to issue an official voter registration form but does not allow the secretary to require proof of citizenship.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that voters must provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote through a state voter registration form – an emergency order requested by Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen.

Arizona joined 23 other states in filing a brief in support of its law requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

The ruling still allows Arizonans without identification to register to vote as "federal only" voters, a federal mandate that includes an attestation of citizenship. The change doesn't affect those already registered. A state voter registration submitted without ID will be rejected.

The legal battle comes from opposition against a law passed in 2022 that would restrict voters who didn’t present proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state elections.