Overview

SB 153 is a sweeping elections bill that imposes significant administrative burdens on county election officials and erects new barriers to the ballot for Ohioans of all backgrounds. Among the bill’s many harmful restrictions is a new proof of citizenship requirement for voting. The bill creates a cumbersome process for verifying citizenship that would likely require all voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) in person1 to either a bureau of motor vehicles (BMV) office or a county board of elections office. Under SB 153, only a short list of documents would qualify as proof of citizenship, including a birth certificate, a U.S. passport, and certificates of citizenship or naturalization. In practice, SB 153 would place significant financial burdens on county boards of elections and voters alike, as well as upend popular methods of voter registration, including registration by mail, community voter registration drives, and online voter registration.

Learn more about the impact of SB 153 by downloading the full factsheet

  • 1SB 153 does not specify whether voters must provide proof of citizenship in person. However, under current Ohio law, voters who vote provisionally due to a lack of acceptable photo ID must subsequently present ID in person to their county board of elections to have their vote counted. Ohio Stat. § 3505.181(B)(7)(b).