Voting rights are under attack on multiple fronts in battleground Ohio

by Kathleen Clyde, opinion contributor - 07/21/26 11:30 AM ET

As Ohio returns to battleground status ahead of November’s midterm election, our state is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

In the span of just a few weeks, we’ve gotten an up-close-and-personal look at how the fight over voting rights is evolving. The Republican-controlled statehouse has pushed legislation and a constitutional amendment that would make it harder for eligible Ohioans to vote while the FBI, presumably on orders from Washington, raided a voting rights organization.

When looking at the dangers of these attacks on voting rights in Ohio, let’s start with a simple fact: Ohio’s elections are safe, they’re secure and they’re free from widespread fraud. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has stated this and Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) has even called our elections the “gold standard.”

And yet, statehouse Republicans in Columbus recently attempted to pass legislation that would require voters trying to cast their ballot by mail to submit actual copies of their photo ID — legislation that DeWine had to veto because it was both harmful to eligible voters and unnecessary.

Statehouse Republicans also recently forced on the statewide ballot in November an unnecessary constitutional amendment to insert Ohio’s already existing voter ID requirement into the state Constitution. In other words, Republicans want voters to spend time and money enshrining in our Constitution a policy that is already state law, for Ohio’s elections — which are already safe, secure and free from widespread fraud.

Let’s take a step back and look at who this legislation is coming from: Republican politicians in Washington and Columbus who support the federal SAVE Act, a legislative disaster described by The Columbus Dispatch’s Editorial Board as “the worst elections bill we’ve seen in generations.”

And it’s coming from Republican politicians like Robert Sprague who vows to eliminate the drop boxes that local elections officials “strongly support” and that have been described as a “lifeline” for disabled people, Ohio seniors, working Ohioans and more because they create more accessibility when dropping off your ballot.

So, while statehouse Republicans have been pretty clear with their intentions, the scope and severity of the FBI raids on an Ohio voting rights organization still came as a stunning surprise.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative is a longstanding, respected nonprofit organization focused on voter registration, civic engagement and community organizing that has worked for 20 years to help register underrepresented communities that have faced barriers to cast a ballot. Yet, the FBI raided their offices and visited the homes of current and former staff and volunteers with no apparent justification and no explanation.

We are fighting back. We are sending a message to the Trump administration and to Republican politicians in Washington and Columbus that no attempt to stoke fear, spread confusion and silence voters will stop us.

Ohioans want — and deserve — leaders who will keep our already safe and secure elections running smoothly for generations to come. What Ohioans do not want are needless barriers that only make it more difficult for Ohio’s seniors, military servicemembers, disabled people, college students and others to vote. What Ohioans do not want is federal law enforcement being weaponized to target organizations that help register eligible voters.

What Ohioans do want, in contrast, are leaders who will support Ohio families and lower the costs that they face at a time when Ohioans of all political backgrounds are struggling.

Of course, what the Republican politicians are doing has nothing to do with safeguarding our elections — and it certainly has nothing to do with lowering costs. It is all about them desperately trying to create outrage over an issue that doesn’t exist because they hope it could increase turnout among their base.

But what they’re doing is harmful. It sows distrust in our elections. And it makes it more difficult for eligible Ohioans to vote in hugely consequential elections.

With Election Day approaching, it is critical that eligible voters feel confident that they can register, cast a ballot and participate in our democratic process without fear or confusion. We’re fighting back in Ohio because we know that our democracy is strongest when all eligible voters are able to vote.

Voting, after all, is how Ohioans make their voices heard. It is how we have a say in our state’s future. And, in case the statehouse Republicans have forgotten, it is also the core foundation of our democracy.

Kathleen Clyde is the current chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, a former state representative, Portage County Commissioner, non-profit leader and candidate for statewide office.