Overview
- The Ohio House voted 61‑27 on Wednesday to send Senate Joint Resolution 10 to the November ballot, completing legislative approval to ask voters to enshrine the state's 2023 photo‑ID rule in the constitution.
- Photo ID is already required under a 2023 law, so a yes vote would make that rule more difficult for future legislatures to change.
- Separately, lawmakers amended House Bill 472 to require absentee voters to submit a copy or other verification of photo ID and sent that bill to Governor Mike DeWine, with its absentee provisions slated to take effect for the November 2027 election if he signs it.
- The amendment of HB 472 replaced an original measure to waive birth‑certificate fees for people experiencing homelessness, prompting the bill's Democratic sponsor to ask for her name to be removed and raising concerns from elections officials about burdens on seniors and people with disabilities.
- Supporters including President Donald Trump and GOP leaders say the package boosts election integrity, critics say it is redundant and could hinder access to mail‑in voting, and some conservatives argue the constitutional question fails to impose equivalent ID standards for absentee ballots.