Issue · every Ohio voter

Issue 3: Photo ID to votePhoto ID to vote, written into the Ohio Constitution

Legislative referral (constitutional amendment): Substitute Senate Joint Resolution 10, placed on the ballot by the Legislature as Substitute Senate Joint Resolution 10 (136th General Assembly) . Passes with a majority of the votes cast on it.

Read the full text of the measure: Secretary of State's Issue 3 report (PDF)

In plain words

Since 2023, Ohio law has required an unexpired photo ID to vote in person. Issue 3 copies that rule into the Ohio Constitution, so it would take another statewide vote to undo it. For mail (absentee) ballots, it requires a photo ID unless state law allows a signature plus another ID number instead, which state law does today. How you vote this year would not change. (signalohio.org )

Before and after

Question	Today	If it passes
Photo ID to vote in person	Required by a 2023 state law (lawmakers could change it)	Required by the constitution (only a statewide vote can change it)
Which photo IDs count	Unexpired Ohio driver's license or state ID (or BMV interim form), U.S. passport or passport card, U.S. military, Ohio National Guard or VA ID; set by state law	The same list, written into the constitution. Opponents say this would block newer IDs, such as a digital ID on a phone, unless voters approve another change
ID for mail (absentee) voting	Driver's license number, last four digits of your Social Security number, or a copy of an ID, set by state law	Photo ID, unless state law allows a signature plus another ID number. Today's law does, so this stays the same until lawmakers change it
People with a religious objection to being photographed	Can sign a form instead (state law)	State law may still give them another way to prove who they are
No ID on Election Day	Vote a provisional ballot and show ID at the county board within four days	Still set by state law

Numbers from the official ballot title (ballot title ); also see (ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State) )

Biggest change

Adds a new Section 5 to Article V of the Ohio Constitution requiring voters to present an approved government-issued photo ID to vote. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
Lists the approved IDs in the constitution: an unexpired Ohio driver's license or state ID card (including temporary BMV documents), a U.S. passport or passport card, and certain military, Ohio National Guard and VA ID cards. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
For voters who do not vote in person, requires photo ID unless state law allows a signature plus at least one other unique identifier, such as a state- or federal-issued number or part of one. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
Lets state law give voters with a sincere religious objection to being photographed another way to verify who they are. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
Takes effect right away if approved. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)

Who it affects most: Voters without one of the listed photo IDs, and mail voters, whose ID rules lawmakers could later tighten to require a photo ID.

Cost to the state: No direct cost. The state pays to print the ballot language and arguments in newspapers in every county; the Controlling Board approved a request of $388,002 for that in August 2026.

Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.

What your vote means

YES

Photo ID to vote becomes part of the Ohio Constitution, with a fixed list of IDs, so only another statewide vote could remove or widen it.

Photo ID to vote stays a state law, with the same ID list, that lawmakers could change on their own.

Our one-line summary. Ohio does not publish an official "what your vote means" statement; the ballot title above is the official description.

Why people want it, and why others object

Why this is on the ballot

The Legislature put this on the ballot. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with a majority of the votes cast on it.

Ohio has required photo ID to vote in person since a 2023 law (House Bill 458). Bank statements and utility bills no longer count. source: wcpo.com
The General Assembly put Issue 3 on the ballot in June 2026 with Substitute Senate Joint Resolution 10, sponsored by Sens. Jane Timken and Theresa Gavarone. It needed three-fifths of each chamber; the House passed it 61-27. No Democratic lawmakers voted for it. source: ohiocapitaljournal.com
A separate 2026 bill that would have required photo ID for mail voting was vetoed by Gov. Mike DeWine, so it is not in effect. source: signalohio.org
The Ohio Ballot Board approved the ballot wording 4-1 on Aug. 3, 2026. Rep. Terrence Upchurch voted no, saying the wording would confuse voters. source: signalcleveland.org

Why supporters want it

The official argument for, by Rep. Adam Bird, Rep. Heidi Workman, Sen. Theresa Gavarone and Sen. Jane Timken: "A YES vote on Issue 3 protects Ohio's elections by placing photo ID requirements for voters into Ohio's Constitution." They say photo ID checks help prevent fraud. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
Rep. Adam Bird: "It is a straightforward question on the ballot to the voters." source: ohiocapitaljournal.com
House Speaker Matt Huffman: "Protecting the integrity of our elections is essential to democracy." source: ohiohouse.gov
Republicans say it would keep a future legislature from repealing the rule and would strengthen the state's legal defense if the law is challenged in court. source: signalcleveland.org

Why opponents object

The official argument against, by Sen. Bill DeMora and Reps. Desiree Tims and Terrence Upchurch: "Photo Identification is already the law and this amendment locks in voter burden with no voter protections." They say voter impersonation is rare and the amendment could limit absentee voting and block newer forms of ID. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
The same argument says: "Today in Ohio you can use your digital wallet to fly but not to vote." source: citybeat.com
Rep. Allison Russo: "Our current form of photo identification and the laws that govern it are working as they were intended." source: ohiocapitaljournal.com
Libertarian Tom Pruss says the amendment gives lawmakers room to restrict mail voting later, which could affect older, military, disabled and rural voters. source: wcpo.com
Some conservative activists oppose it because it does not require photo ID for mail ballots. source: wcpo.com

Who backs each side

For: the Ohio Republican Party, which is running the "Yes on 3" campaign (Chair Alex Triantafilou), and Republican lawmakers who placed it on the ballot. Vivek Ramaswamy, Jon Husted, Robert Sprague and President Donald Trump have backed it. Democratic governor nominee Amy Acton also supports it. source: signalohio.org
Against: the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, Ohio Citizen Action, the Ohio Democratic Party, and secretary of state candidates Allison Russo (Democrat) and Tom Pruss (Libertarian). No organized "no" campaign committee was found. No campaign spending totals for either side were found in public reporting. source: signalohio.org

In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.

What you will see on your ballot

Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)

The official ballot title, word for word from the Ohio Secretary of State's official Issue 3 report .

TO REQUIRE VOTERS TO PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION IN ORDER TO VOTE
Proposed by Joint Resolution of the General Assembly
To enact Section 5 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Ohio
A majority yes vote is required for the adoption of Section 5.
This proposed amendment would:
• Require voters to present an approved form of government-issued photo identification in order to vote.
• Allow state law to provide for an alternative method of verifying a voter’s identity for a voter who has a sincere religious objection to being photographed and, therefore, does not possess an approved form of government-issued photo identification.
• Require that voters who do not vote in person provide an approved form of government-issued photo identification, unless the law authorizes those persons to vote by providing a signature and at least one other specified unique identifier.
• Define approved forms of government-issued photo identification as an unexpired Ohio driver license or state identification card; a United States passport or passport card; or a United States military identification card, Ohio National Guard identification card, or United States Department of Veterans Affairs identification card.
If approved, the amendment shall take effect immediately.
A “YES” vote means approval of the amendment.
A “NO” vote means disapproval of the amendment.

SHALL THE AMENDMENT BE APPROVED?
YES
NO

Copied word for word from the Secretary of State's Issue 3 report, "Ballot Language: Issue 3" (page 1 of the report), and the same text on the Secretary of State's official sample ballot (Directive 2026-45, 8/20/2026), page 3. The two files print identical ballot language.

Latest news

Recent reporting from a range of outlets, newest first. We link to it; we don't endorse it.

No articles collected yet for this measure.

Full text of the measure

The Legislature's title for the resolution (Ohio Legislature, SJR 10 page, word for word): "Proposing to enact Section 5 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to require identification to vote." The ballot language is shown above, word for word. The amendment's own text is in the Secretary of State's Issue 3 report (page 4); we have not copied it onto this page. Read it in the Secretary of State's Issue 3 report (PDF) , or on the Legislature's page for Substitute Senate Joint Resolution 10 (136th General Assembly) , which also shows the votes in each chamber.

We link to analysis from several sources; we don't endorse it.