Lawsuit Challenges Ohio Voter Removal Law Over Citizenship Checks

Voting rights groups say new election law could wrongly remove eligible voters, especially naturalized citizens.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging parts of Ohio's new election law, Senate Bill 293, which requires the Secretary of State to regularly check citizenship records and remove flagged voters. The lawsuit claims this violates the National Voter Registration Act and the Fourteenth Amendment's due process protections, arguing it could disproportionately impact naturalized citizens and remove eligible voters too close to elections.

Why it matters

This lawsuit highlights ongoing legal battles over voter registration and election integrity laws, with voting rights groups arguing that measures like Ohio's new law unfairly target certain groups of voters. The outcome could set an important precedent for how states can maintain voter rolls and verify voter eligibility.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and CAIR-Northern Ohio, and argues that SB 293 violates the NVRA's limits on removing voters close to elections and its requirement for uniform, nondiscriminatory list maintenance programs. It also claims the law violates due process by allowing voters to be removed without prior notice. The state maintains the law protects election integrity, but the plaintiffs say it amounts to an 'unlawful purge program'.

  • SB 293 was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in December 2025 and is set to take effect in March 2026.
  • The lawsuit was filed in federal court on February 13, 2026.

The players

League of Women Voters of Ohio

A nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, including protecting voting rights.

CAIR-Northern Ohio

The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.

Mike DeWine

The Republican Governor of Ohio who signed SB 293 into law.

Frank LaRose

The Republican Ohio Secretary of State.

Davin Rosborough

Deputy director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project.

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What they’re saying

“Ohio's SB 293 is an unlawful purge program masquerading as election integrity.”

— Davin Rosborough, Deputy director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project

“Frivolous and unfounded lawsuits are nothing new for these groups. We are confident the legislation passed by the Ohio General Assembly complies with federal law.”

— Ben Kindel, Spokesman for Secretary of State Frank LaRose

What’s next

The lawsuit has requested an injunction to block the citizenship-check process while the case moves forward in federal court.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing legal battles over voter registration and election integrity laws, with voting rights groups arguing that measures like Ohio's new law unfairly target certain groups of voters and could lead to the wrongful removal of eligible citizens from the rolls.