COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio voters will decide this fall whether the state’s current photo identification requirements for in-person voting should become part of the Ohio Constitution, setting up a statewide debate over election security, voter access and the future of election rules.
Issue 3 asks voters whether Ohio’s existing voter ID requirements should be permanently protected from easier changes by future lawmakers according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
The amendment was placed on the November 2026 ballot after Republican lawmakers approved the proposal with the required legislative supermajority. If approved by voters, the current photo ID rules would move from state law into the Ohio Constitution, making future changes significantly more difficult.
Supporters say the amendment would strengthen election integrity by ensuring voters prove their identity before casting ballots.
“We should be protecting elections here in the state of Ohio,” Republican nominee for Ohio secretary of state Robert Sprague said, according to WEWS.
Opponents argue the amendment is unnecessary because Ohio already has one of the strictest voter identification systems in the country and say the measure is designed primarily to energize Republican voters ahead of the election.
The current Ohio law already requires voters casting ballots in person to show an acceptable photo ID. Approved forms include an Ohio driver’s license, state-issued identification card, U.S. passport, military identification, Ohio National Guard ID card and a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.
The identification must include the voter’s photo, name and an unexpired expiration date. The voter’s name must substantially match the name listed in election records.
Under current law, voters can no longer use documents such as bank statements or utility bills as identification.
A “yes” vote on Issue 3 would place those requirements directly into the Ohio Constitution. Supporters argue that would prevent future legislatures from changing election identification rules through a simple majority vote.
The Ohio Constitution can only be changed through voter approval, while laws contained in the Ohio Revised Code can be amended by lawmakers through the legislative process.
Sprague said he believes constitutional protection is needed to maintain confidence in elections.
“I would like to see us go back to in-person voting — that way everybody has to show their photo ID,” Sprague said. “We know that people are who they say they are.”
Democrats and Libertarians have criticized the proposal, saying the existing voter ID system is already in place and that placing it in the Constitution is unnecessary.
Allison Russo, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, said she believes the measure is politically motivated.
“It speaks to the desperation that we see from Republicans in this state,” Russo said, according to WEWS.
Russo said she supports photo identification requirements but argues voters are being asked to decide whether to preserve a policy that is already active.
“Our photo ID requirements that we have currently are the strictest in the country,” she said.
Libertarian secretary of state candidate Tom Pruss also opposes Issue 3, calling it political maneuvering rather than a needed election reform.
“Our election laws should not be written in response to national fear-mongering, cable-news talking points, or unsupported claims intended to keep voters angry and afraid,” Pruss said.
Some opponents have also raised concerns that the amendment does not address absentee voting. Critics argue that future lawmakers could attempt to impose additional restrictions on mail-in ballots if Issue 3 passes.
Pruss said leaving absentee voting outside the amendment could create uncertainty for groups that rely on mail voting, including seniors, military members, voters with disabilities and people who have difficulty reaching polling locations.
Supporters of Issue 3, including former President Donald Trump and Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have campaigned in favor of the amendment as part of broader efforts to tighten election laws.
Opponents point to election audits and reviews that have not found widespread voter fraud in Ohio.
The debate over Issue 3 comes after several recent Ohio ballot measures involving election policy. In 2022, voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting noncitizens from voting in state elections, although noncitizens were already prohibited from voting in state and federal races.
The numbering system for Ohio ballot measures also recently changed. Beginning in 2024, ballot issues will keep sequential numbers instead of restarting each election cycle. That means the current voter ID proposal is Issue 3 because it follows Issue 1, which appeared on the November 2024 ballot, and Issue 2, which appeared in May 2025.
If approved by voters in November, Issue 3 would become part of the Ohio Constitution and permanently establish the state’s photo identification requirements for in-person voting. If rejected, the rules would remain in state law and could be changed by future legislatures.
