Secretary of State Frank LaRose often says that in Ohio, “It is easy to vote and hard to cheat.” Despite this mantra, people worry about non-citizens voting in our elections. Congress is working on a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Little has been said about the impact this will have on citizens’ ability to vote.
If the bill passes, everyone will need to provide evidence that they are US citizens. This includes the over four million Americans who turn 18 each year and register to vote for the first time. It includes voters who changed their residence and now need to reregister. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that tens of millions of citizens will need to register to vote before the next federal election.
Hunting down citizenship paperwork will make it harder to vote. At least 21 million US citizens don’t have easy access to a birth certificate or other citizenship documentation (Brennan Center). Most women change their name when they get married, and they will need to prove that they are the person named in their birth certificate. In 2021, over 50,000 people were born at home and may not have been issued a birth certificate.
If you leave your birth certificate at home, you miss opportunities to register to vote. You can’t register while at the library, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or during a registration drive at a public event. Registering by mail or online will be effectively eliminated, because citizenship documentation must be presented in person. With all these barriers, fewer citizens will succeed at registering to vote.
What do we gain by making it harder for citizens to vote? Numerous election officials, including Republicans, have stated that election fraud is rare. The Brennan Center reviewed 23.5 million votes from the 2016 election and only 30 were reported to be cast by non-citizens. Requiring proof of citizenship will depress voting by citizens far more than it will stop voting by non-citizens.
Please call Senators Husted and Moreno, and your Congressperson, and tell them to vote “NO” on the bill that will require all Americans to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Debbie Dalke
Bowling Green
