Ohio Approves Photo ID Requirements for Mail-In Voting and Constitutional Amendment
The Ohio Republican-controlled legislature has approved two election measures: a bill requiring photo ID for absentee ballots (House Bill 472) and a constitutional amendment enshrining in-person photo ID requirements, which will go before voters in November. The constitutional amendment does not cover mail-in voting, prompting the separate legislation that includes exemptions for military members, overseas voters, people with disabilities or severe medical conditions, former inmates, and those with sincere religious objections. The measures represent a significant expansion of Ohio's voter identification framework, though critics on both sides question whether the approach is comprehensive or could create new barriers for voters.
Ohio's Republican-led legislature passed two election-related measures this month: House Bill 472, which adds a photo ID requirement for absentee ballot returns and takes effect in November 2027, and Senate Joint Resolution 10, a constitutional amendment enshrining existing in-person photo ID requirements that Ohio voters will decide on in November 2026. Under HB 472, absentee voters must include a copy of a valid photo ID when mailing back their ballot or present one when delivering it in person; the bill also creates a new online absentee ballot application portal. Current Ohio law allows absentee voters to verify identity using the last four digits of their Social Security number or a driver's license number, requirements that will remain for requesting a ballot but not for returning one. Several categories of voters are exempt from the new return requirement, including military and overseas voters, those with severe medical conditions or disabilities, former inmates, and voters with sincere religious objections or significant material obstacles to obtaining a photo ID. The constitutional amendment was advanced separately because the resolution's language does not cover mail-in voting — a gap some Republicans called a loophole — and President Trump publicly urged the House to pass the resolution via Truth Social, where his post received over 17,000 likes. Democrats and election officials have warned the changes could disenfranchise seniors and other groups who rely on absentee voting, while some conservative critics argue the numerous exemptions undermine the legislation's election integrity goals. Both measures now await Governor Mike DeWine's signature on HB 472, while the constitutional amendment heads to a statewide referendum.
What's missing
None of the sources provide data on how many Ohio absentee voters fall into the exempt categories, which would help assess the practical scope of the new requirements. Additionally, independent analysis of whether the exemption framework is legally durable or likely to face court challenges is absent from all sources.
How coverage differed
The Federalist framed the legislation skeptically from a conservative election-integrity standpoint, emphasizing criticism from right-leaning activists who argued the exemptions and process were 'ass backwards' and amounted to political performance rather than genuine reform. The Washington Examiner and Washington Times covered the measures more straightforwardly as policy news, giving roughly equal weight to Republican justifications and Democratic objections without the internal GOP dissent angle that The Federalist highlighted.
What different sources said
- Washington ExaminerRight
Ohio adds photo ID requirement for mail-in ballots in 2027
- The FederalistRight
Ohio Photo ID Constitutional Amendment Question Goes To Voters
- Washington TimesRight
Ohio poised to add photo ID requirements for mail-in voting
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