It’s Election Day in Ohio! While we are going to the polls and voting in our local elections, the Ohio Senate has an anti-voting bill sitting in committee. Senate Bill 153 is Ohio’s copycat version of the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act. With a bill name like “Require citizenship verification before an elector may vote,” SB 153 is disguised as a harmless bill that reinforces the rules of voter registration and participation already in place. But when we look into the bill itself, it is anything but harmless.
SB153 is legislation that threatens our voting rights by creating undue restrictions on citizens who wish to cast their ballot. SB 153 limits our power as voters by
- Limiting options for how to register to vote
- Increasing the likelihood of provisional voting
- Establishing pathways to erase voter registrations
- Creating hurdles to petition signature gathering
It is clear why Ohio Citizen Action has been fighting against SB 153 this year. The bill directly threatens our vision of the future where citizens have the power to meet challenges, hold decision-makers accountable, and achieve a just and equitable future. When we allow our state legislature to erect additional and unnecessary barriers to participation, we see more power consolidated in the hands of a few.
Last week on October 28, The General Government Committee had its fourth hearing for testimony on this legislation. Opponents, proponents, and interested parties have had an opportunity to either submit written testimony or speak at the Statehouse in person. Over the course of four testimony hearings this year, only 4 people submitted proponent testimony for SB 153, yet 192 individuals and organizations submitted opponent testimony. Among those was Ohio Citizen Action CEO, Rachael Belz.
“Chairperson Roegner, Vice Chair Gavarone, Ranking Member Blackshear, and members of the Ohio Senate General Government Committee, I am Rachael Belz, CEO of Ohio Citizen Action. This testimony is presented on behalf of our more than 32,000 members and all Ohioans who have a stake in the decisions made by this committee.
Ohio Citizen Action is a grassroots organization that has been dedicated to protecting and strengthening the democratic rights of Ohioans for the past 50 years. We talk to Ohio voters where they live, often on their front porches, about issues important to them as consumers, parents, and workers across the state. We help them to amplify their voices and stand up for the things they hold most dear.
We strongly oppose Senate Bill 153, a deeply flawed and anti-democratic piece of legislation that undermines voter rights, suppresses access to the ballot, and erodes the integrity of Ohio’s elections. This bill represents yet another calculated effort by state lawmakers to manipulate the electoral system for their own advantage, silencing the voices of Ohio voters.
Senate Bill 153 is an extreme and unwarranted attack on the petition process and voter rights. It imposes an arduous citizenship verification process that would disenfranchise tens of thousands of eligible Ohio voters, particularly married women, young people, less affluent individuals, and people of color. These groups, who often already face disproportionate barriers to voting, would be unfairly targeted by this overly complex system, preventing them from exercising their fundamental right to cast a ballot. This is not about election security—it is about erecting obstacles to suppress participation.
Senate Bill 153 also seeks to intimidate Ohioans by threatening petition circulators with politically motivated investigations and imposing overly burdensome requirements for gathering signatures. These measures make it significantly harder and even more intimidating for citizens to place initiatives on the ballot, a critical tool for Ohioans to push back against government overreach, hold politicians accountable, and shape policy in our communities. By stifling the petition process, Senate Bill 153 undermines the strongest mechanisms we have for direct democracy in our state.
The legislation promotes voter suppression by placing an unfunded burden on already strained election staff. In 2022, one million Americans registered or updated their voter information, with only 6% doing so in person. Under this bill, an estimated 18,800 additional Ohioans could be forced to visit their local Boards of Elections in person, overwhelming limited resources and creating unnecessary delays. This additional strain would exacerbate Ohio’s over-reliance on provisional ballots, which already saw 34,000 rejected in November 2024. Senate Bill 153 would cause the number of provisional ballots cast—and subsequently discarded—to skyrocket, further disenfranchising voters.
Senate Bill 153 is a clear attempt by state lawmakers to maintain their stranglehold on Ohio’s elections and block access to the ballot. Following the special election in August 2023 that would have made initiated
Constitutional Amendments nearly impossible to place on the ballot and increased the approval threshold to 60% for passage and the subsequent opposition to the proposed Amendment to eliminate gerrymandering, Senate Bill 153 is the third attempted strike against the integrity of our electoral process in Ohio.
The assaults on democracy in this state must stop.
On behalf of Ohio Citizen Action, I urge you to reject Senate Bill 153.
Thank you for your consideration.“
Over the past 6 months, Ohio Citizen Action field and phone canvass teams have been talking to Ohioans about the danger of SB 153. After talking to nearly 13,000 Ohioans, we have helped almost 5,000 people leave voicemails and send letters to the General Government Committee, urging them to stop this bill before it hits the Senate floor.
What’s next? For now, we are waiting on the Ohio Senate’s calendar. The committee is scheduled to meet again on November 5th at 9:15am. They plan to introduce a substitute bill – meaning there are substantial edits coming our way. We will find out tomorrow exactly what that entails.
On Election Day, the fate of this anti-voting bill remains unclear. No matter the result of any committee hearings on SB 153, we will continue the fight to protect voting rights in Ohio.
Join the Tens of Thousands of Ohioans who have reached out to our State Senators, urging them to vote NO on SB 153. Voting against this legislation protects our voice as voters for generations to come.
Want to help us reach more Ohioans? Visit our donate page to contribute.