In a year when Republicans can't manage to get the SAVE America Act across the finish line – tick, tock, the midterms are almost here! – it's hardly surprising to learn that a Democrat-appointed judge has come along and halted an Ohio law requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., who was appointed by President Clinton way back in 1994, issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday that blocked a part of Ohio House Bill 54, which was signed into law last year by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and amended that state's "motor voter” law. The new law required individuals to show a valid U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other acceptable form of citizenship proof when registering to vote and simultaneously applying for a driver’s license.

Oliver ruled the new requirement demands more than the “minimum amount of information necessary” when compared with other Ohio voter registration methods. This, he wrote, likely conflicts with National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requirements.

“The record shows, and Defendants acknowledge, that signed attestation to U.S. citizenship is ‘the minimum amount of information necessary,’ to enable Ohio’s election officials to assess voter eligibility and administer other parts of the election process,” Oliver wrote in a 54-page opinion.

Oliver concluded that documented proof of citizenship is more information than the state needs to determine whether somebody is eligible to register. His reasoning was essentially that a person's signed declaration that he or she is a citizen is proof enough of citizenship.

He wrote: “Election officials do not need documentary proof of citizenship to assess a voter registration applicant’s citizenship because signed attestation of citizenship is enough.”

Recommended
El-Sayed's Post on Dolly Parton's Death Has People Up in Arms Nick Arama The Trump Admin Just Found a Pressure Point That Could Disrupt Antifa's Entire Network Ward Clark

OUTRAGEOUS: U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. (Clinton appointed) is BLOCKING Ohio from requiring proof of citizenship for anyone registering to vote at the DMV. 

Fox & Friends: “The federal judge ruled that the requirement could have resulted in ‘fewer voter registrations because the opportunity to apply was not proactively offered to otherwise eligible citizens.’” 

A treasonous ruling!

Judge Oliver's ruling comes just weeks before Ohio's voter registration deadline of Oct. 5. A lot of eyes are on the Buckeye State this year, where Republican Sen. Jon Husted is locked in one of the more high-profile midterm election battles with former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown. 

With Republicans currently holding only a 53-47 Senate majority, Democrats really need that Ohio seat in order to retake control, making Ohio one of the races that could help decide who nabs the majority in 2027.

READ MORE: SCOTUS Ruling Forces Judge Talwani's Hand on Trump's Mail-Ballot Rules

A Major New Mail-In Voting Rule Is Ready to Go — but There's One Big Problem

The timing of the judge's ruling is ... interesting.

There is some good voting-related news out Wednesday, however. In a separate election-law fight, a federal judge lifted a nationwide injunction that had blocked key parts of President Trump's effort to tighten the rules governing mail-in ballots ahead of November's midterms.

Here's RedState's resident legal eagle, Susie Moore: 

President Trump's election-integrity agenda scored another significant court victory Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani vacated her nationwide injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from implementing new mail-ballot rules for the November midterms.

There are 69 days until the midterm elections.