ACLU challenges Secretary of State Frank LaRose over Ohio voter registration law

The American Civil Liberties Union has threatened to sue the state of Ohio over a new voter registration law.

Multiple election laws are set to take effect in March as part of the recently passed Senate Bill 293, with some organizations objecting to part of the bill that directs the Secretary of State to conduct periodic checks to compare voter registration records with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, also known as SAVE, system to determine if noncitizens are registered as voters.

The ACLU said that it believes that the legislation violates the National Voter Registration Act and called on Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to block its implementation in a Jan. 22 letter.

The organization said it believes voters who are citizens could be flagged and have their voter registrations removed.

“In practice, this poses significant risks for naturalized U.S. citizens and other eligible Ohioans who may be erroneously flagged, including individuals who have changed their names,” the ACLU wrote.

The letter concludes by saying that the ACLU intends to file suit if LaRose does not amend the law within 20 days.

The Secretary of State has not officially responded to the ACLU’s letter, but did comment on the use of the SAVE system to ensure the integrity of voter registration records in a December 2025 press release.

“Ohio has a duty to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, and this agreement gives us the tools to do that job right,” LaRose said. “I appreciate the Trump administration for working with us to deliver long-term access to the federal data needed to protect election integrity.”

Senate Bill 293 made changes to laws about voter roll maintenance, provisional voting, the return of absent voters’ ballots, and the membership of the Ohio Election Integrity Commission.

The bill was introduced by state Sens. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, and Andrew O. Brenner, R-Delaware, in October 2025. It was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives that November and signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in December 2025.

“If you’re a legal citizen of the State of Ohio we have afforded many opportunities for votes to be cast, including absentee voting, 28 days of early voting, and, of course, in-person Election Day voting,” Gavarone said in a December 2025 press release. “But thanks to this bill, Ohioans can be sure that illegal voting is stymied in this state, and that election results will be known promptly and accurately on Election Day.”

The bill is set ot go into effect on March 20.