The federal SAVE Act generated a lively debate about requiring proof of citizenship to
register to vote. A new bill proposed in the Ohio legislature, SB 153, does this and
includes other requirements that will make it harder to vote. As you evaluate this bill,
please consider that it may impact other people more than it impacts you.
For example, to register to vote, everyone must bring proof of citizenship to the Board of
Elections during normal business hours on a weekday. This might be manageable if you
live in Bowling Green, assuming the line is not too long, because the county BOE is in
our town. It won’t be so easy for people who work during the day and must drive a long
distance to the BOE, or for people without transportation.
If SB 153 becomes law, people must replace their driver’s license every time they move
because the ID used to vote must show their current address. This is an unnecessary
hassle and expense, as the ID would still be valid for driving. This requirement will be
particularly problematic for college students, who tend to move frequently.
The bill also requires that the name on the ID be identical to the name on the voter
registration. If only one document has a middle name, the voter will be required to cast
a provisional ballot. This ballot won’t be counted unless the voter returns to the BOE
within four days to correct the problem. If getting to the BOE isn’t easy, people could
miss the deadline. If the ID issue doesn’t get resolved, the person’s voter registration
could be cancelled.
SB 153 is 200 pages long and changes 40 sections of voting law, more than what I can
describe in one letter to the editor. It creates more work for voters and for the BOEs.
Election workers will need additional training, the workload will increase, and expenses
will go up. However, the bill doesn’t include an increase in BOE budgets to cover these
costs.
Current data collection technology should allow us to identify eligible voters without
forcing citizens to jump so many hurdles. Secretary of State LaRose says Ohio has one
of the most secure and successful election systems in the nation. I urge you to contact
Senator Gavarone, the primary sponsor of SB 153, and ask her why she finds it
necessary to ruin our election system.
Debbie Dalke
Bowling Green
