Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday vetoed some provisions tucked into the transportation budget bill that critics had predicted would deter out-of-state college students from voting in Ohio.
But the governor let stand a 30-day time limit by which anyone who declares Ohio residency must re-register their cars and get a new driver’s license.
A provision that listed registering to vote among several acts of declaring residency in the state had triggered criticism.
Under the vetoed language, failure to re-register an out-of-state car and get a new driver’s license would have resulted in loss of all driving privileges in Ohio and open the driver to a minor misdemeanor charge and a fine.
Democratic Rep. Kathleen Clyde of Kent led the criticism, saying the fees associated with changing auto registration and obtaining a driver’s license and the potential penalties would deter college students from out-of-state from registering to vote from their college address.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that college students have a right to register as voters from their college addresses.
Clyde said Wednesday that Kasich did the right thing.
“This is a victory for voting rights in Ohio and for Ohio’s college students and new Ohioans who we want to welcome to our state,” Clyde said.
The effect, she said, is that there is no direct link between registering to vote and any requirement that someone obtain an Ohio driver license.
Kasich vetoed sections that would have immediately suspended driving privileges.
And he struck language that would have made registering to vote a declaration of residency that was written into Ohio law, as well as a second provision that involved using an Ohio address for purposes of filing state and federal tax returns.
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