Ohio Ballot Board approves language for constitutional voter ID amendment

The Ohio Ballot Board approved ballot language Monday for Issue 3, clearing the way for voters to decide in November whether to add Ohio’s photo identification requirement for in-person voting to the state constitution.

Ohio law has required voters to present a government-issued photo ID when voting in person since 2023. If approved by voters, Issue 3 would place that requirement in the Ohio Constitution, making it more difficult for future legislatures to repeal or weaken the law.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly voted in June to place the constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot after approving a joint resolution with the three-fifths majority required to propose constitutional amendments.

State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, a sponsor of the resolution, said the amendment is intended to make Ohio’s photo ID requirement permanent.

“By enshrining this language in the constitution, we are really setting a floor so that future general assemblies won’t be able to go backwards and that we maintain a photo ID requirement in Ohio,” Gavarone said, according to Statehouse News Bureau.

Under both current law and the proposed constitutional amendment, acceptable forms of identification include an Ohio driver’s license, Ohio identification card, U.S. passport or passport card, U.S. military or Ohio National Guard identification card, and a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs identification card.

The board voted 4-1 to approve the language that voters will see on the November ballot.

Supporters argue placing the requirement in the constitution would help preserve election integrity by preventing future lawmakers from eliminating the photo identification requirement through ordinary legislation.

The proposal comes after Republican lawmakers spent much of this legislative session advancing additional voter identification measures. Ohio.News previously reported that lawmakers considered legislation requiring absentee voters to submit copies of government-issued photo identification with their mail ballots, and House Republicans have also discussed overriding Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a separate bill that would have imposed photo ID requirements for voting by mail.

Democrats opposed placing the amendment on the ballot, although State Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, voted to approve the ballot language itself after saying it accurately described the proposal.

“This is something that we don’t need. There’s no fraud. It’s all ridiculousness. I hope people vote no on it,” DeMora said.

Supporters point to public polling showing broad support for photo identification requirements. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 80% of Americans surveyed in 2025 supported requiring government-issued photo identification to vote.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose noted Monday that no citizen-led statewide constitutional amendments qualified for the November ballot, saying Ohio’s signature requirements create an appropriately high threshold for amending the state constitution.

“If you’re going to bring a question in front of the voters to amend the very founding document of our state, there should be a high bar for that,” LaRose said.

Ohio voters will decide Issue 3 during the Nov. 3 general election.