Ohio voters approved Issue 3 on Nov. 3, writing the state's existing photo ID voting requirements into the constitution by a 65%-35% margin, according to unofficial results reported by the Columbus Dispatch. The Associated Press called the race at 9:33 p.m. on election night.
An estimated 98.8% of the vote had been counted as of the latest available update from 10TV. Results remain unofficial.
| Result | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Yes | Passed | 65% |
No | — | 35% |
Source: Unofficial results via the Associated Press. Estimated 98.8% of vote reported as of Nov. 3.
The amendment locks in a specific list of acceptable IDs for in-person voting: an unexpired Ohio driver's license or state ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio National Guard ID or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card, as WLWT reported. It takes effect immediately.
For Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff voters, the change does not alter day-to-day voting procedures right now. Ohio has required photo ID at the polls since 2023, and the Dispatch reported that Issue 3's passage "won't change anything on a practical level."
What it does change is how hard those rules are to modify. Because the ID list now sits in the constitution, changing the constitutionally specified list of acceptable IDs would require another constitutional amendment approved by voters.
What could change for mail-in voters
The amendment also allows lawmakers to decide whether to require photo ID for mail-in voting. Legislators tried and failed to pass such a requirement earlier this year, according to the Dispatch. Under current law, absentee voters can provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number instead of a photo ID.
Russo flags concerns
Secretary of State-elect Allison Russo, who won the office Nov. 3 with just over 50% of the vote, told ABC6 Investigates that she voted against Issue 3. Russo, a state representative from the Columbus suburbs and former Ohio House minority leader, said her main concerns involve how the amendment could affect early voting, mail-in voting and ballot drop boxes.
"I voted no on issue three … To me, that's not about do you support voter ID or not or photo ID or not. It's about should that specific list be enshrined in the Constitution," Russo said, according to ABC6.
Russo pointed to possible legal battles ahead. She said questions about the amendment's interpretation could end up before the Ohio Supreme Court. She also said the secretary of state "has an obligation to challenge those questions in court" if the new rules conflict with the state constitution, the U.S. Constitution or federal law.
In an October interview with Signal Ohio, Russo argued the amendment is too rigid to accommodate future forms of identification. She noted the VA no longer issues a physical ID card, only a digital version, yet the constitutional language references a "document."
Supporters and opponents
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pushed for the measure and urged GOP lawmakers to place it on the ballot, according to the Dispatch. Republican Treasurer Robert Sprague, who lost the secretary of state race to Russo, called it a safeguard for future elections.
Opponents, including Sen. Bill DeMora and Reps. Desiree Tims and Terrence Upchurch, argued the amendment "fails to provide any safety measures for our elections while leaving many of our voting rights, such as the right to vote early and the right to free voter IDs, open to attacks," according to WLWT.
The Franklin County Board of Elections is expected to meet within 21 days of the election to certify results.
