Dublin voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, with one statewide question on the ballot: Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment on voter identification.

Election results are pending. This article will be updated as election officials release vote totals.

What Issue 3 would change

Ohio already requires a government-issued photo ID to vote in person. That requirement became state law in 2023 through House Bill 458 (HB 458).

Issue 3 would enshrine photo-ID requirements in the Ohio Constitution by adding a new Section 5 to Article V. The Ohio General Assembly placed the measure on the ballot through Senate Joint Resolution 10 (SJR 10), which passed with a three-fifths supermajority in June, according to the Secretary of State's certified materials.

A yes vote approves the amendment. A no vote rejects it and leaves the existing photo-ID law in place. Rejecting Issue 3 would not repeal Ohio's current requirement.

If approved, the amendment takes effect immediately. Changing it later would require another statewide vote.

Accepted IDs

The amendment lists specific unexpired, government-issued documents: an Ohio driver's license or state ID card, a qualifying temporary Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) document, a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio National Guard ID or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID.

State law also allows an alternative for voters with a sincere religious objection to being photographed, according to the certified explanation.

Absentee voting

For voters who do not cast ballots in person, the amendment requires photo ID or, if state law authorizes it, a signature and at least one other unique identifier. Under current law, absentee voters casting ballots by mail can use a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, as Fox 8 reported.

The amendment allows lawmakers to keep that alternative process but does not guarantee it permanently, according to WTOL.

Arguments for and against

Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, a sponsor of SJR 10, said in a June news release that artificial intelligence makes constitutional protection essential. "This resolution ensures that it is easy to vote but hard to cheat," Timken said, according to Fox 8.

Opponents in the legislature pushed back. Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, called the effort redundant at a June hearing. "We're not protecting drop boxes, we're not protecting early voting, we're not protecting vote by mail, we're not protecting free state IDs," Brent said, according to Fox 8.

The ACLU of Ohio opposes Issue 3, calling the existing law sufficient. Both gubernatorial candidates, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, support the measure, Fox 8 reported.

How Dublin voters can track results

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters in line by 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Dublin straddles Franklin and Delaware counties. Franklin County residents can check the Franklin County Board of Elections results page for county-level returns. County figures cover that county only, not the statewide outcome. Statewide totals will be posted on the Secretary of State's election website.

Election-night totals remain unofficial until certified by election officials.