Oct. 30—A Dayton-area state senator introduced a bill Wednesday that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Ohio.

The bill, proposed by Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miami Twp., would also require proof of citizenship to update voter registrations.

It clarifies that proof of citizenship may include a current or expired Ohio driver’s license or state ID; identification documents or driver’s licenses from other states; birth certificates; current or expired U.S. passports; or naturalization certificates.

Ohioans already registering to vote must provide a driver’s license or state identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

“Securing Ohio’s elections must be our top priority. This bill will prevent illegal immigrants from voting in our elections,” Antani wrote in a press release while criticizing President Joe Biden for allowing “an invasion illegal immigrants in our country.

“We have to take every precaution to ensure that they don’t vote in our elections,” said Antani, whose legislative proposals have been geared toward election integrity in recent months.

In the United States, it is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and the Ohio Constitution prohibits non-citizens from voting in any election. People must certify that they are citizens when they register to vote, but federal law prohibits requiring proof of citizenship for federal elections.

Voter fraud committed by U.S. citizens or non-citizens in the United States is extremely rare, according to studies by groups including the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, the conservative Heritage Foundation and the CATO Institute. libertarian tendency. Ohio has about 8 million registered voters.

Antani’s bill aims to provide another level of protection to ensure that non-citizens cannot improperly register to vote in the state.

A recent Dayton Daily News investigation found that election officials in three area counties, the Warren County prosecutor and a local immigration attorney said errors made by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices in Ohio had led to some non-citizens being registered to vote when they obtained their ID cards or driver’s licenses. permit, including when the person declares not to be a citizen. Respondents said none of those people attempted to vote.

Antani’s bill comes amid renewed attention to the potential issue of non-citizen voting in Ohio, which has been spearheaded by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who said more earlier this year that the Legislature should require proof of citizenship to register.

Critics wonder why, as the November 5 election approaches, Republicans in Ohio and other states are magnifying the problem of non-citizen voting, even though voter fraud by anyone, including non-citizens, citizens, rarely occurs.

“Ohio has a lot of real problems, but this isn’t one of them. You have to wonder why some elected officials are devoting so much attention to a problem that doesn’t exist,” said senior attorney Ellis Jacobs. retired from Advocates for Basic. Legal Equality (ABLE) in Dayton, in an interview in September.

While still at ABLE, Jacobs analyzed cases of statewide voter fraud, including non-citizen fraud, in Ohio’s 2016 election.

“What I found was that most of them could be explained by misunderstandings or miscommunications. And that only a small handful of people voted and weren’t allowed to vote. And only a small group of people ended up being prosecuted,” Jacobs said.

Antani’s proposal comes a week after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the indictments of six people – one of whom died – for allegedly voting illegally in Ohio’s elections while They were not U.S. citizens between 2008 and 2020. These cases stem from a total of 138 cases. allegations forwarded by LaRose.

After Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley last week denounced Yost for charging a dead man, Yost’s office said the dead man’s indictment would be dismissed.

In August, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Arizona to require proof of citizenship for those registering on Arizona state forms, but barred the state from denying those who registered on a federal form to vote for president or by mail. The legal battle over the law will continue in lower courts.

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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can send him a comment/tip with the survey below.

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