COLUMBUS, OHIO ? The Amish would be excused from jury service for religious reasons under a bill sent to Republican Gov. Bob Taft for his approval. The Amish shun judging others under their faith.

The goal of the legislation is actually to encourage more Amish to register as voters. Ohio courts pick prospective jurors from lists of registered voters or licensed drivers. Amish, who don’t drive and therefore aren’t on the license lists, often forgo voting — thereby keeping themselves off juries. Studies put Amish voter participation at less than 10 percent.

“They’re being disenfranchised from their voting rights because of concerns about jury duty,” said state Rep. Tim Grendell, a Republican who inserted the provision in a larger jury service bill. His district includes a sizable Amish settlement east of Cleveland.

When they do vote, Amish almost always side with the Republican Party; the GOP aggressively reached out to them in the presidential election.

Ohio judges routinely release Amish who cite religious principles when they get called for jury duty, Geauga County Common Pleas Judge Forrest Burt said. Most often, he said, the Amish quote Matthew 7:1 — “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”