COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republicans want to force universities to offer in-state tuition to out-of-state students who request documents from the schools in order to register to vote in Ohio.
Republicans in the House have included the provision in the state budget now being considered in the Senate. They say they’re trying to streamline the system.
Universities often provide documents to serve as students’ proof of residency when they register to vote. The provision would require universities continuing to provide that documentation to charge those students the lower tuition offered to Ohio residents.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, critics are saying it’s really designed to prevent universities from making voting easy in the key electoral college battleground state for out-of-state students, who mostly vote Democratic.
Universities say it would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tuition revenue.
