Protect Free and Fair Elections
Free and fair elections are the foundation of American democracy, and protecting access to the ballot may be one of the most important actions we can take right now. Across the country and here in Ohio, strict documentation mandates, aggressive voter roll purges, and hyper-partisan gerrymandering work to quiet everyday voices and erode public confidence in our results. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It only survives when citizens step forward to claim it, so get involved today and help keep our elections by the people and for the people.
Why does it matter?
Voting isn't just a political chore—it's the lever that shifts power.
In a democratic society, your vote is your primary mechanism to control everything from local school boards and public transit funding to climate policy, criminal justice reform, and federal civil rights. When you vote, you hold elected officials accountable; when you don't, you cede that power to whoever shows up.
Free and fair elections, and public trust in them, are the foundation of American democracy. Restrictive voting measures have been advancing at both the state and federal level in recent years. Supporters call these "election integrity" laws meant to prevent fraud and maintain accurate voter rolls. Critics say they make voting harder for eligible citizens, particularly first-time, low-income, and minority voters.
It's worth noting these aren't just dueling opinions: a leaked internal Heritage Action strategy memo (Right leaning Heritage Foundation's political arm), obtained by the watchdog group, Documented, and shared with the New York Times and the Guardian, showed the group budgeted $24 million in 2021–22 specifically to push restrictive voting laws in eight target states. This is an on-the-record admission of strategy, not speculation about motive.
Trying to restrict access to the ballot box to favor one party is not a new political tactic. Read this overview of the history of voter suppression efforts in the US and understand the patterns of behavior that try to silence voters’ voices.
Resources:
Voting Rights: A Short History - Andrew Carnegie Foundation
How have things changed since January 2025?
Election integrity is vital, but recent policy moves treat the ballot box less like a public right and more like an exclusive club.
Take the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act). Proponents frame it as a common-sense security update to ensure only citizens vote. The catch? Federal law and standard registration forms already require citizenship under penalty of perjury, and non-citizen voting is statistically non-existent. If passed, the SAVE Act would mandate physical proof of citizenship—like an unexpired passport or official birth certificate—to register or update your voter info. That effectively ends quick online registration and mail-in sign-ups. For college students, young professionals who moved recently, or anyone who changed their name after marriage, tracking down these paper documents can create barriers to voting. While the bill stalled in Congress following multiple failed Senate votes, national leadership continues to push for its provisions. Track it at vote.org/save-act.
The dispute: Research from the University of Maryland and the Brennan Center estimates about 21 million voting-age citizens lack ready access to proof-of-citizenship documents. The Bipartisan Policy Center found 12% of registered voters lack a passport or birth certificate paired with a photo ID. Its analysis also found the burden does not fall on one party. Supporters say the bill tells states to create a process for people whose names changed after marriage. Critics say the bill leaves that process vague. Confirmed noncitizen voting is very rare.
Beyond legislative proposals, executive actions directly target voting infrastructure:
Targeting Campus Voter Registration: Federal guidance restricted universities from using federal work-study funds to staff nonpartisan voter registration drives.
Scrutinizing Nonpartisan Campus Data: Federal authorities threatened investigations into schools utilizing nonpartisan voter turn-out data programs (such as Tufts University's Institute for Democracy & Higher Education), creating a chilling effect on administrative support for campus voting drives.
Fueling Misinformation: Intelligence channels were tapped to re-examine thoroughly debunked claims regarding past election outcomes, keeping narrative doubts alive in the public consciousness rather than focusing on future security.
Limiting who can vote and casting doubt on how votes are counted, attack democracy from two sides at once. One undermines the ability to vote. The other undermines trust in the result.
Resources:
How can you take action in Ohio?
Become a Poll Worker:
Why it matters: Poll workers are the frontline defenders of fair elections. Serving on election day ensures polling locations run smoothly, tech issues are resolved, and every eligible neighbor can cast a ballot without hours-long delays.
How to do it: Sign up directly through the Ohio Secretary of State Poll Worker Portal or contact your local County Board of Elections.
Monitor & Advocate Against Restrictive Legislation:
Why it matters: Federal measures like the SAVE Act or state-level registration restrictions directly alter who can access the ballot. Staying informed allows you to contact state and federal representatives before bills go to a vote.
How to do it: Track federal bill statuses and set up legislative alerts using nonpartisan portals like Vote.org.
Engage in Local Redistricting & Anti-Gerrymandering Work:
Why it matters: Gerrymandering dilutes community representation before a single vote is cast. Supporting grassroots coalitions fighting for fair maps ensures elections remain competitive.
How to do it: Join community outreach campaigns, attend local redistricting hearings, or assist with nonpartisan voter education efforts in your county.
Key Organizations Fighting for Democracy in Ohio.
Learn. Connect. Do. Share.
Common Cause Ohio: A nonpartisan watchdog organization at the forefront of the fight against gerrymandering, promoting transparency in government and advocating for fair legislative maps.
League of Women Voters of Ohio: A nonpartisan grassroots organization that empowers voters through comprehensive election guides, candidate forums, and local voting access advocacy.
Ohio Voters Rights Coalition: A statewide network of voting rights advocates, community organizations, and legal experts working together to expand voter access and eliminate systemic barriers at the polls.
Campus Vote Project - Ohio: Focused specifically on helping high school and college students navigate registration rules, absentee voting, and campus turnout initiatives.
Democracy Docket: A national legal tracking platform that provides real-time updates and analysis on voting rights court cases, gerrymandering lawsuits, and election law changes nationwide.
Brennan Center for Justice: A nonpartisan law and policy institute offering research, policy solutions, and legal advocacy to defend democratic institutions and voting rights.
For official election information, voter registration verification, or local election administration guidance in Ohio, always consult the official Ohio Secretary of State Elections Division portal or your local county Board of Elections.
Resources:
What’s happening in Ohio?
Ohio as the Testing Ground: Data Transfers and BMV Red Tape
What happens nationally hits home fast in Ohio. State leadership has made several quiet moves that directly change how residents interact with local elections:
Your Private Data Sent to Federal Agencies: Ohio handed over voter registration records for nearly 8 million residents—including full names, addresses, birth dates, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers—to federal authorities. While state officials cited federal compliance obligations, multiple states (including conservative states like Idaho) refused similar requests. Those states pointed to judicial rulings showing federal agencies lack legal authority for bulk collection, citing severe privacy risks and potential data leaks.
The BMV Citizenship Hurdle (House Bill 54): Ohio lawmakers quietly attached a mandatory proof-of-citizenship requirement to a state transportation bill. Under this law, registering or updating your address at the BMV requires presenting a passport, certified birth certificate, or naturalization papers on the spot. This policy hits the state's ~940,000 young adults (ages 18–24) hardest, as the BMV is where most young Ohioans register for the first time. (Note: A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of this BMV requirement in Red Wine & Blue v. LaRose, ruling that extra document requirements violate the National Voter Registration Act).
Gerrymandered Congressional Maps: In late 2025, Ohio's Redistricting Commission unanimously adopted a new congressional map for the 2026 cycle. While technically "bipartisan," voting rights advocates termed the deal a practical compromise—accepting a map heavily biased toward the statehouse majority in exchange for avoiding an even more extreme single-party map.