Ohio asks 6th Circuit to lift pause on new voter registration restrictions

Ohio asked the 6th Circuit to pause a lower court ruling* that blocked a state law requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The request came just hours after the lower court refused to pause its ruling.

Two pro-voting groups filed the lawsuit last year challenging a new state law that would make it more difficult for residents to register to vote, particularly voters who don’t have citizenship paperwork on hand and women whose legal names have changed through marriage or divorce. 

The plaintiffs argued the new requirements violate the National Voter Registration Act. The federal district court judge concluded they were likely to succeed on the grounds that the requirements went beyond what federal law allows. 

Ohio election officials asked a federal judge to allow them to enforce the new law while the state appeals a preliminary injunction order blocking the measure, but the federal judge refused the request Wednesday.

Now, Ohio is taking its argument to the 6th Circuit, asking the court to lift the pause and allow it to implement the new restrictions.

*The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents the pro-voting parties in this lawsuit. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.