Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has vetoed legislation that would require residents to show photo ID to vote by mail.

According to Ohio Capital Journal, House Bill 472 would have “required absentee voters to provide a copy of their driver’s license or state ID starting with the November 2027 election.”

“House Bill 472 would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security, and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans who vote by mail,” DeWine said, according to the outlet.

“This bill is not needed, because Ohio does an excellent job running elections,” he added.

Ohio Capital Journal shared further:

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Ohio Republicans passed Ohio House Bill 472 two weeks ago after changes were made to the bill before the lawmakers went on summer break.

The bill originally started as a bill that would waive fees for birth certificate copies for people experiencing homelessness, but was expanded to require absentee voters to show their ID either when they request an absentee ballot or if they submit their ballot in-person.

It would have required the Ohio Secretary of State, the board of elections, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, and public libraries to provide free copies of electors’ photo IDs.

The Secretary of State would have also had to create a secure online portal where a voter can apply for an absentee ballot starting Sept. 3, 2027.

DeWine said the bill does not provide voter officials “any new tools to fight fraud.”

Meanwhile, Ohioans will vote in November on a constitutional amendment requiring photo ID to vote in person.

“Ohio law already requires citizens to provide photo identification before voting thanks to a bill the lawmakers passed in 2022 and took effect in 2023,” Ohio Capital Journal reported earlier this month.

“Requiring photo ID to vote is a common-sense measure that most Americans support, across demographic & partisan lines. Whether or not Congress passes the SAVE Act this year, Ohio voters have an opportunity to VOTE YES in November to enshrine the photo ID requirement in our state constitution,” Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said.

“This constitutional amendment also enables Ohio lawmakers to expressly apply the photo ID requirement to ALL ballots, including mail-in ballots (which I would sign into law and which most Ohioans support). I strongly support this constitutional amendment, as does President Trump and as do most Ohio lawmakers. I’m calling on leaders and candidates in both political parties to stand for common sense & join me in voting YES in November,” he continued.

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More from the Associated Press:

The veto doesn’t affect the amendment, since under state law, governors have no role in sending proposed constitutional amendments to voters.

Republican lawmakers still could overturn DeWine’s veto if they can garner enough votes in the Ohio House and Senate before the end of the year. The veto-overturn process would start in the House, where Republicans hold 65 seats – five more than the 60 votes needed to overturn a veto.

Currently, the legislature has no scheduled sessions until after the November election.

Republicans described HB 472 as a common-sense election security measure. They said Ohioans support photo ID requirements for voting, and said that mail voting shouldn’t be exempt.

The bill offered a few ways for voters to show a photo ID while voting remotely.

One option is a new online portal that would allow Ohioans to request a mail ballot online, ditching a longstanding process that involves filling out a paper form.

 

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