WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) released the following statement today regarding a provision in the Ohio Senate proposed transportation budget that would require any college student who registers to vote in Ohio to apply for a driver’s license with the state within 30 days:

“Here we are in 2015 and Republicans in the Ohio Senate have quietly included language in the transportation budget requiring students from other states who currently attend college in Ohio to obtain a driver’s license and re-register their motor vehicles with the State of Ohio within 30 days of registering to vote.  Auto registration and a driver’s license require a minimum of $75 in fees.  This effectively forces out-of-state students to pay $75 if they want to register to vote in Ohio.  Failure to do so would be a criminal offense, a first degree misdemeanor.  Fifty years ago, the United States Supreme Court outlawed poll taxes and any attempt by the states to force anyone to pay to vote,” said Congresswoman Fudge.

“Targeting college students is an unconscionable and discriminatory attack on the rights of young voters.  Inserting this language into a transportation budget appears to be a deliberate attempt to hide the true purpose of this provision.  College students have the right under the U.S. Constitution to vote where they go to school.  Ohio Republicans are once again attempting to make it harder for some people to vote when they should be encouraging students to participate in the electoral process.”

Congresswoman Fudge added, “Their effort to hide this attempt to disenfranchise student voters has failed.  Now in the light of day, we all see their motives.  I urge the Ohio House-Senate Conference Committee to remove this unjust attempt to suppress the vote of college students.”

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