Ohioans agreed to add a voter ID requirement to Ohio’s constitution, effectively locking in state laws that require residents to present government-issued photo identification when voting.
The Associated Press declared Issue 3 winning before 10 p.m., based on analysis that found there were not enough votes uncounted to alter the outcome.
As of 9:50 p.m., 65% of voters supported the issue.
In practical terms, the new constitutional language, which was before voters as Issue 3, changes nothing today. But it means any future move to change voter ID laws would need approval from voters. To get on the ballot, such changes would first need either backing from state lawmakers or the signatures of hundreds of thousands of voters.
The new amendment says all voters must present an approved form of government-issued, photo identification to vote.
Until 2023, Ohio law allowed people to vote after proving their identity with a looser set of documents that included utility bills, bank statements and student IDs. Now, with a few exceptions, voters must present an ID issued by the state, a military ID or a U.S. passport.
The legislation that made this change passed along partisan lines, with Republicans favoring the law and Democrats objecting to it. However, public polling has indicated broad support for the issue.
In addition to winning the backing of voters Tuesday, Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, supported Issue 3, which represents a break from the party’s traditional stance on voter ID requirements. Republican lawmakers placed Issue 3 on the ballot as part of a strategy to use a popular issue to shape the electorate and highlight an issue Republicans see as advantageous. The effort was publicly unveiled by Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP gubernatorial candidate.
Issue 3 doesn’t require voters to present voter ID to vote by mail. However, it allows this if lawmakers make the change by passing a new law.
