COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio voters will decide in November whether the state’s voter identification requirements should be written into the Ohio Constitution.

Issue 3 will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. If approved, the amendment would largely preserve Ohio’s existing photo ID requirements while making them more difficult for future state lawmakers to change.

Ohio currently requires voters casting ballots in person to present an acceptable form of photo identification.

That includes an unexpired Ohio driver’s license, a U.S. passport or a military identification card.

The proposed amendment would establish the photo ID requirement in the state Constitution rather than leaving the issue entirely to state law.

The measure also addresses absentee voting.

Under the proposed language, absentee voters would generally be required to provide an approved form of government-issued photo identification, although the Legislature could authorize another method that requires a signature and at least one other specified unique identifier.

The amendment also would allow an alternative for voters who have a religious objection to being photographed. Ohio law currently provides an exception for voters with a religious objection through an affidavit process.

Issue 3 began as a Republican-sponsored resolution in the Ohio Legislature.

Supporters say the constitutional amendment would protect Ohio’s voter ID requirements from being repealed or significantly changed by future legislatures.

Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, testified in support of the proposal during legislative hearings.

“Future legislatures can decide to repeal an extraordinarily popular law, as was done in Virginia, as has been done in Hawaii, so the risk of backsliding is real,” Snead said.

He said the amendment would give Ohio voters the opportunity to decide whether voter identification requirements are important enough to be considered a fundamental part of the state’s election system.

State Sen. Jane Timken, a Republican from Jackson Township and one of the resolution’s sponsors, has also argued that changes in technology make stronger identification requirements necessary.

“With AI being easily able to generate items like utility bills and bank statements, it is essential to constitutionally protect voter photo-ID requirements,” Timken said in a June statement.

Supporters argue that the proposal would maintain a system in which voting remains accessible while establishing identification requirements intended to protect election security.

Opposition has largely come from Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates, who argue that Ohio already has voter ID requirements and that placing detailed election rules in the Constitution could make them more difficult to update.

State Rep. Juanita Brent, a Democrat from Cleveland, called the proposal redundant during a June hearing and questioned whether the Legislature should instead address other aspects of voting access.

“We’re not protecting drop boxes, we’re not protecting early voting, we’re not protecting vote by mail, we’re not protecting free state IDs,” Brent said.

Brent argued that election policy involves more than voter identification and said future lawmakers should retain the ability to address both access and security.

State Sen. Bill DeMora, a Democrat from Columbus, raised concerns about how the amendment could affect future identification technology.

DeMora questioned whether constitutional language focused on photo identification could prevent Ohio from adapting if digital or biometric forms of identification become more common.

The ACLU of Ohio also opposed the proposal, arguing that constitutionalizing specific voter ID provisions could make the rules harder to modify as election technology and identification practices change.

The proposed amendment would not necessarily create a dramatic change for Ohio voters on Election Day if it passes.

Much of the identification system outlined in Issue 3 already exists under Ohio law.

The significant difference would be where those requirements are established.

Instead of allowing future General Assemblies to change the requirements through ordinary legislation, the amendment would establish constitutional protections around voter identification.

The measure also does not eliminate existing election procedures for absentee voters. Its language gives the General Assembly authority to establish an alternative identity-verification method involving a signature and another specified identifier.

Both Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton have said they support Issue 3.

The question before voters is whether the proposed language should become part of the Ohio Constitution.

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

Early in-person voting is scheduled to begin Oct. 6, with Election Day polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The voter registration deadline for the November election is Oct. 5.

The official ballot language and information about Issue 3 are available through the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.