Ohio voters will decide in the Nov. 3 General Election whether to amend the Ohio Constitution to establish requirements for voter identification.
Issue 3, proposed by Republican lawmakers in the Ohio General Assembly, would enact Section 5 of Article V of the Ohio Constitution. Ohio already requires photo identification for in-person voting under state law. The proposed amendment would place specific identification requirements in the state constitution.
A majority of votes cast on the issue is required for passage. If approved, the amendment would take effect immediately.
Under Issue 3, voters would be required to present an approved, unexpired government-issued photo ID to vote in person at a polling place or another designated voting location.
The amendment identifies the following acceptable forms of identification:
• An Ohio driver's license, state identification card or qualifying temporary document issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
• A United States passport or passport card.
• A United States military identification card.
• An Ohio National Guard identification card.
• An identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The amendment also addresses voters who have a sincere religious objection to being photographed. It allows state law to provide an alternative method of verifying the identity of those voters.
For voting methods other than in-person voting, including absentee voting by mail, the amendment would require approved photo identification unless state law authorizes another method. That alternative could require a voter's signature and at least one other specified unique identifier authorized by law.
The amendment does not itself specify every detail of how alternative identification methods for absentee voting would operate. Those details would depend on state law.
Ohio currently requires voters casting ballots in person to present an acceptable form of photo identification. Under existing procedures, voters who cannot provide the required identification may cast a provisional ballot.
A provisional ballot allows a voter to participate when questions remain about the voter's identity or eligibility. Election officials review the ballot after Election Day to determine whether it meets legal requirements before counting it.
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's 2026 Election Official Manual, voters who do not provide proper identification, including those who have a religious objection to being photographed, must cast provisional ballots under current procedures.
The manual lists acceptable identification for provisional voting, including Ohio driver's licenses and state ID cards, U.S. passports and passport cards, and certain military and veterans' identification cards. It also states that election officials must accept digital Veteran ID cards issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Provisional voters must provide required information and documentation for their ballots to be eligible for counting. In applicable cases, voters may provide missing identification or other required information during the four days following Election Day.
Issue 3 would place the specified identification requirements in the Ohio Constitution rather than leaving the requirements solely in state law.
The official argument in support of Issue 3 was prepared by state Rep. Adam Bird, state Rep. Heidi Workman, state Sen. Theresa Gavarone and state Sen. Jane Timken.
Supporters argue that requiring photo identification in the Constitution would help verify voters' identities, deter voter impersonation and strengthen public confidence in elections.
They also argue that placing the requirement in the Constitution would provide greater stability by making it more difficult for future legislative majorities to repeal or substantially change the state's photo ID requirements.
Supporters maintain that the amendment would not place a significant additional burden on voters because photo ID is already required under Ohio law and free state identification cards are available. They also point to the provision allowing an alternative verification method for voters with sincere religious objections to being photographed.
The official argument against Issue 3 was prepared by state Sen. Bill DeMora and state Reps. Desiree Tims and Terrence Upchurch.
Opponents argue that the amendment is unnecessary because Ohio already requires photo identification for in-person voting. They contend that the proposal does not address a demonstrated need and could create additional barriers for eligible voters.
Opponents also raise concerns about placing detailed identification requirements in the Constitution, arguing that doing so could limit the state's ability to adapt voting procedures as technology changes.
The opposition's argument specifically cites concerns about identification options not listed in the proposed amendment, including county-issued veterans' identification and digital military identification. It also argues that the amendment does not provide sufficient protection for absentee voting and other voting methods.
Supporters and opponents therefore differ on whether constitutionalizing the requirements would improve election security and public confidence or unnecessarily restrict future voting procedures.
A yes vote on Issue 3 would approve the proposed constitutional amendment establishing the specified voter identification requirements.
A no vote would reject the amendment, leaving the existing statutory framework in place.
The complete proposed amendment and the official arguments for and against Issue 3 are available in the Ohio Secretary of State's 2026 Statewide Issue Report.
