Ohio Voters Approve Constitutional Voter ID Measure, AP Projects

Overview

• The Associated Press projected that voters approved Issue 3, a legislatively referred amendment to enshrine voter ID rules in the Ohio Constitution, and state reporting said the amendment takes effect immediately.
• The amendment names specific acceptable IDs, including unexpired Ohio driver licenses or state IDs, U.S. passports or passport cards, U.S. military IDs, Ohio National Guard IDs, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs IDs.
• Supporters filed the official Vote YES arguments saying the change will protect elections and boost public confidence while opponents filed Vote NO arguments saying the amendment is unnecessary and risks restricting voting access.
• The Ohio League of Women Voters declined to take a position and highlighted the central trade-off that placing the rule in the constitution prevents lawmakers or election officials from updating the list without a new amendment.
• With the rule now constitutionalized, any future change to the listed IDs would require a statewide constitutional amendment approved by a majority of voters, shifting authority from the legislature to the ballot box and likely prompting future campaigns over updates.