(COLUMBUS, OH) – October 10, 2018: The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) today praised a trial court decision which blocked efforts to force six-figure totals of obsolete registrations back on to Ohio’s voter rolls prior to the 2018 elections.

“This ruling is measured and respectful to the lawful realities of Ohio’s voter roll maintenance procedures,” PILF Counsel Noel Johnson said. “Jamming hundreds of thousands of outdated voter records back into the registry was certain to create chaos around the 2018 election and simply could not be justified by any means.”

The Court declined plaintiffs’ request to reinstate scores of lawfully cancelled registrants, finding only one “minor”—and since corrected—violation of the National Voter Registration Act on the part of Ohio, which was limited to official interactions with those who relocated out of state and were no longer eligible to vote in Ohio:

Plaintiffs have not shown any individuals who received the confirmation notice, were confused by it, and therefore didn’t send it in. All of the relief requested by Plaintiffs pertains to eligible Ohio voters who may have been wrongfully removed from the voter registration lists. However, there is no evidence that any current Ohio residents have been harmed by this minor violation. Only voters who have moved out of the state are subject to this violation and voters who have moved out of the state would not be eligible for reinstatement to Ohio’s voter registration rolls.

The Court orders that Ohio update its website to offer advice on how to register to vote in a citizen’s new home state.

The Foundation was previously granted amicus curiae status in the case and submitted several arguments in support of the State of Ohio. Today’s opinion and order may be read, here.

The Foundation’s briefs were filed before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division in A. Philip Randolph Institute v. Husted, No. 2:16-cv-303. Related filings can be found, here.

Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm dedicated to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, the Foundation seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.

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