The May 2 primary election won’t determine much for some Cincinnati-area voters, but some in Hamilton County will be asked to vote on school levies – just make sure you have your ID.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 458 on Jan. 6, enacting one of the strictest voter-ID laws in the country.
The bill set in motion major changes to how elections are run in Ohio, including mandating the use of unexpired photo IDs, passports or driver’s licenses to vote, and limiting the number of ballot drop boxes in counties down to one. The law also mandated citizenship status on IDs and excludes veterans’ IDs issued by the county. College IDs are also no longer allowed, posing issues for out-of-state college students who want to vote in their local elections.
In order to vote in the state, you’ll need one of the following unexpired forms of ID:
- Ohio driver’s license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- U.S. military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed
- A photograph of the voter
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the poll list or in the poll book
Forms of ID that were previously accepted at the poles included utility bills, some paychecks, government checks and bank statements.
Related
Here’s How Ohio Enacted the Most Restrictive Voter Photo ID Law in America
According to the Ohio Secretary of State website, an unexpired Ohio driver’s license, state ID card, or interim documentation with a voter’s former address is an acceptable form of ID if the voter’s current address is listed in the pollbook.
DeWine has justified his decision to enact such strict voter ID laws by claiming “elections integrity is a significant concern to Americans on both sides of the aisle across the country.”
Those in the Cincinnati area who plan to vote in the May 2 primary may find there is nothing on their ballot, but some Hamilton County voters are being asked to decide on school district levies, including:
- Forest Hills School District
- Northwest Local School District
- Loveland City School District
- Winton Woods City School District
Polls are open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find your polling location by visiting voteohio.gov.
Follow CityBeat’s staff news writer Madeline Fening on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Related Stories
Here’s How Ohio Enacted the Most Restrictive Voter Photo ID Law in America
Ohio Sec. of State LaRose Has Flagged 641 Cases of Voter Fraud. Less Than 3% Resulted in Charges
This article appears in Apr 19 – May 2, 2023.