Andrew Tobias/signal Ohio, The associated Press

Ohioans soon will be required to provide a photo ID when voting by mail – a major change to a voting method that previously had been exempted from the strict voter ID requirement Republican lawmakers passed following the 2020 presidential election.

Republican lawmakers unveiled the new photo ID requirement for mail voting on Tuesday, before swiftly approving it in the House and Senate the following day. The requirement would take effect ahead of the November 2027 election, so voting this year will remain unchanged.

The new law, officially called House Bill 472, is one of two voter ID measures that Republicans fast-tracked this month. The House also approved Senate Joint Resolution 10 on Wednesday, a related measure which would amend Ohio’s constitution to add Ohio’s existing photo ID requirements for in-person voting.

Approving SJR10 puts the amendment on the November ballot, where it requires voter approval to take effect. The measure will get an official name – almost certainly state Issue 3 – later this summer.

Republicans have described both voter ID measures as common-sense security measures that polling shows voters support.

“We want to make sure our voters have confidence in our elections, and photo ID is certainly an important step to doing just that,” said state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Bowling Green Republican.

Democrats called the changes unnecessary, saying documented voter fraud is rare while also pointing out the photo ID requirement already was part of state law. In addition, they said the new photo ID requirement for mail voting was needlessly rushed, and accused Republicans of pursuing it as a way to increase turnout among base GOP voters this November.

“I knock on a lot of doors, I talk to a lot of voters, and so do our members. I bet you so do the Republicans,” said Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, the top House Democrat. “I’m sure they’re hearing the same things we’re hearing, and voter ID going into the constitution, I can guarantee you hasn’t come up once.”

Responding to concerns from elections officials and voting-rights groups that the new mail voter ID bill was rushed – getting passed just 48 hours after its public introduction – Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, a Republican, pointed out it won’t take effect until next year.

“I think there’s plenty of time, and the reason to do that is obviously to take time to make sure that it’s implemented properly,” Huffman said.

The Ohio House approved SJR 10 on Wednesday night in a 61-27 vote. The vote was along party lines, with Republicans voting “yes” and Democrats “no.”

HB 472 now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for his signature.

The political context

Republicans initially left mail voting out of SJR10, the amendment Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced as a broader coordinated strategy ahead of the midterm elections in November.

When GOP lawmakers approved Ohio’s current voter ID law in 2022, they opted to exempt mail voting from the requirement after election officials argued the change would disadvantage senior citizens and other groups.

But Senate Republicans pivoted this week, introducing the new photo ID requirement for mail voting on Tuesday and adding it to a bill that otherwise provides free IDs and other government documents to people experiencing homelessness.

Republican lawmakers privately described the changes as meant to attract a couple extra votes from House Republicans, who had criticized the amendment for not including a photo ID requirement for mail voting.

President Donald Trump also got in on the effort to pressure any holdout House members, posting in a Monday night message on his Truth Social media platform: “I will be watching, and am strongly supportive of this resolution.”

The new photo ID requirement for mail voting drew swift protests from Democrats, state election officials and the Ohio Election Officials Association, a trade group that represents state boards of election, which are legally required to be bipartisan.

Licking County Elections Director Brian Mead, a Republican, described the pending bill as “dire” in public testimony on Tuesday, the day the new law was unveiled.

He said it united Republican and Democratic election officials in opposition.

“It was one of those things where we have concerns on both sides,” Mead said.

Under the new measure, voters could, but won’t be required to, provide a photo ID when applying for an absentee ballot. Those who don’t, like in current law, will instead need to provide other personal identifying information, like the last four digits of their Social Security number or a driver’s license number.

But, they would have to enclose a copy of their photo ID – such as a driver’s license – when mailing their ballot back. Alternatively, a voter could hand-deliver their ballot and show elections officials their photo ID when they do it.

The bill also includes a new system that would allow voters to request an absentee ballot online, a change from the current system, which requires voters to obtain and fill out a paper form. The measure directs the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to set up an online portal voters could use to submit a photo of their face and photo ID.

The bill exempts certain categories of voters from the photo ID requirements: those with “sincere religious objections,” military members and other overseas Ohioans, people with a severe medical condition or disability, or those who were incarcerated. A last minute change also exempted those with a “lack of mobility” or “another material obstacle” that prevents them from either getting a photo ID or a photocopy of their ID.

These exempt voters would be allowed to provide personal identifying information instead.

Election officials raise concerns

Mead, a Republican, shared concerns with the online absentee ballot application portal of the bill. He said the bill lacked sufficient detail about privacy protections around photos that voters would submit. He also said the bill’s timeline was unrealistic and didn’t allow for testing.

Meanwhile, Anton White, the Democratic director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, said the photo ID requirement “may seem straightforward.”

“However, election officials know that for many voters, particularly our older Ohioans, it creates substantial obstacles,” White said, citing how some lack the access or technical knowledge to use a scanner or copy machine.

Voting-rights groups that consistently have opposed Republican election law restrictions also testified against the change, raising similar concerns about access. Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, called it an unfunded mandate that would result in voter confusion and disenfranchisement of older and disabled voters.

“Given the inherent complexity of election law, such a major change should not be made hastily. Doing so risks triggering a cascade of complications and unintended consequences,” Miller said.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, also raised concerns about implementation.

“We received the draft less than 48 hours ago, and it was just amended this morning, so we’re moving as quickly as we can to assess the significant cost implications, as well as the technical and timeline requirements of constructing a new digital portal,” LaRose spokesperson Dan Luschek said in an email Wednesday afternoon, hours before the bill’s final passage.

Ahead of the Wednesday vote, Senate Republicans made a few last-minute tweaks to address elections officials’ concerns about voter privacy.

They added language that explicitly says the photos and other personal information voters submit are private information exempt from public records law.

They also added language directing public libraries to provide free ID photocopies for voting use.

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This story was originally published by Signal Ohio and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

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