DAYTON — Ohioans will decide if voter ID requirements should be in the state constitution this fall.
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Ohio already has a voter ID law.
Supporters say that putting Issue 3 in the state constitution would make it harder to repeal.
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“Having a statutory requirement is not enough,” said Justin Riemer, Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections.
To vote in Ohio, people need to prove their identity with a government-issued photo ID. Like a driver’s license or passport.
Riemer works for the Republican backed Restoring Integrity and Trust. He is one of several people who told state lawmakers in June that they want to see the law added to the state constitution.
“The question is whether photo ID remains a policy that survives every election, or one that the people of Ohio decide,” he said.
Riemer said voter ID laws have broad support.
“Over 80 percent of Americans across party lines support photo ID, and academic research increasingly shows that it strengthens voter confidence, which increases participation,” he told lawmakers.
News Center 7’s Cody Butler says that Issue 3 is getting mixed reactions in Ohio.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose has an online guide for voters to see arguments for both sides of the issue.
Both leading gubernatorial candidates, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic Amy Acton, both support the proposed constitutional amendment.
The ACLU of Ohio is urging people to vote no.
“You’re taking what is state law, which can be fluid, people can change that over time if they so wish, but when you put it in the Constitution,” said Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio. “You’re essentially sealing in bedrock at that point.”
He told Ohio lawmakers that the proposed amendment is not needed because voter fraud is so rare.
“We could pass a resolution that says it’s illegal for me to get struck by lightning or to be attacked by sharks or to become the new small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers,” said Daniels.
If voters approve Issue 3, this amendment takes effect right away.
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