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Ohio Voters Enshrine Photo ID Rules as Brown Wins Senate Seat
Ohio voters approved Issue 3 by 66% to 34% on November 3, adding photo ID requirements for in-person voting to the state constitution. Ohio already required photo ID under state law; the amendment puts that requirement in the constitution. The measure also sets identification requirements for mail and absentee voting.
The vote came as Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Jon Husted for a U.S. Senate seat, returning to the chamber after a two-year absence. Brown opposed Issue 3, arguing that election rules should make it easier for eligible Ohioans to vote and warning against steps he said could undermine trust in elections.
Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race and backed the amendment. Acton said she would support it while seeking to make required identification available easily and at no cost to eligible voters. Democratic lawmakers in the state legislature had opposed putting the measure on the ballot.
Voter ID measures also passed in Nevada, 62% to 38%, and North Carolina, 60% to 40%. Measures failed in Arizona, California and Colorado. The Ohio result enshrines a requirement already in state law, while the outcome leaves Brown and Acton on opposite sides of the issue despite both winning statewide races.
Ohio Voters Lock In ID Rules Despite Brown’s Warning
Ohio voters approved Issue 3 by 66% to 34% on November 3, writing photo ID rules for in-person voting into the state constitution. The state already required photo ID by law, but the amendment makes the requirement harder to change and also sets identification rules for mail and absentee ballots.
The result came despite opposition from Democrat Sherrod Brown, who defeated Republican Jon Husted for the Senate seat. Brown had argued that election rules should make voting easier and warned that unnecessary barriers could threaten Ohioans’ ability to cast ballots. Ohio Democratic lawmakers who voted on placing the measure before voters opposed it.
Democrat Amy Acton, who defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for governor, supported Issue 3. She said she would also work to ensure eligible voters could obtain the required identification easily and without charge. That commitment underscores the stakes: a rule can win at the ballot box while access to the documents it requires remains a concern for voters.
Ohio was not alone in approving voter ID measures. Nevada passed one by 62% to 38%, and North Carolina approved one by 60% to 40%. Voters rejected measures in Arizona, California and Colorado.
Voters Back Photo ID Rules Across Ohio, Nevada and North Carolina
Ohio voters delivered a decisive endorsement of photo ID, approving Issue 3 by 66% to 34% on November 3. The amendment places the state’s existing in-person photo ID requirement in the constitution and sets identification requirements for mail and absentee voting.
The result showed that support for voter ID crossed party lines in a state where Democrat Sherrod Brown opposed the measure. Brown won the Senate race against Republican Jon Husted, while Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for governor. Acton supported Issue 3, saying the state should help eligible voters obtain identification easily and at no cost.
The vote also put Ohio Democrats at odds over the issue: Brown opposed the amendment, Acton backed it, and Democratic lawmakers who voted on sending it to voters opposed it. But voters approved the measure by a wide margin, strengthening rules that already applied under state law.
Ohio’s result formed part of a broader set of voter ID wins. Nevada approved its measure 62% to 38%, and North Carolina passed its measure 60% to 40%. Voters rejected proposals in Arizona, California and Colorado.
Reported by The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Hot Air.
