Hey, Angry Ohioans!
I recently received an email from the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party informing members how its Executive Committee voted on the upcoming ballot issues.
I want to go through these issues individually because there is more to consider than a simple yes or no.
I will examine one issue each day, explain what it does, describe the practical consequences of both choices and give my own position.
We will start with Issue 3.
The Democratic Party’s Recommendation
The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Executive Committee recommends voting NO on Issue 3.
My recommendation is also NO.
My objection is that Ohio already requires photo identification for in-person voting. Issue 3 does not create a requirement that currently does not exist. It takes the existing basic requirement and places it into the Ohio Constitution.
What Is Issue 3?
Issue 3 is a proposed constitutional amendment establishing minimum voter-identification requirements in Ohio.
Ohio currently requires voters to show an acceptable, unexpired photo ID when voting in person. Accepted identification includes an Ohio driver’s license or state identification card, a United States passport, certain military identification cards, an Ohio National Guard identification card and a Department of Veterans Affairs identification card.
The real question is not whether Ohio should have voter ID. We already do.
The question is whether that requirement belongs in the Ohio Constitution.
What Would a Yes Vote Do?
A yes vote would place photo ID requirements into the Ohio Constitution.
Government-issued photo identification would become constitutionally required for in-person voting. The General Assembly would retain the authority to approve additional forms of photo identification.
For people voting through another method, lawmakers could require approved photo identification or allow a signature accompanied by an authorized identifying number.
What Would a No Vote Do?
A no vote would leave voter-identification requirements primarily in state law.
It would not eliminate Ohio’s current photo-ID requirement. Ohioans voting in person would still be required to present acceptable identification.
A no vote simply means that the requirement remains a statute that future lawmakers can update through the ordinary legislative process.
Why I Am Voting No
I support requiring identification to vote. I do not support placing a redundant requirement into the Constitution when Ohio already has a voter-ID law.
My concern is flexibility.
Technology changes. Security practices change. Ohio may eventually develop better and more accessible methods of confirming a voter’s identity. That could involve improved digital identification, biometric verification or technology that does not exist yet.
I am not arguing that Ohio should immediately adopt facial recognition, fingerprints or another biometric system. I am saying that the state should retain enough flexibility to consider new security methods when they become available.
The Constitution require photo identification for in-person voting. Replacing that requirement with a fundamentally different form of identity verification could require another constitutional amendment.
That is an unnecessary restriction when Ohio already has a functioning photo-ID statute.
Election security is important. So is the ability to update election security when technology and circumstances change. We should not use the Constitution to lock in a statutory requirement simply because we agree with the requirement as it exists today.
For those reasons, my recommendation is no on Issue 3. On this issue, I agree with the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Executive Committee’s recommendation.
Look for tomorrow’s newsletter, when we will examine Issue 10 and the proposed Cuyahoga County Developmental Disabilities levy.