On June 24, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed legislation that would have required most voters to provide photo identification when either requesting or returning an absentee ballot.

Currently, Ohio voters must provide either a copy of their state or federal photo ID or their driver's license number, state identification card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number when applying for and returning an absentee ballot.

HB 472 would have required voters to provide state or federal photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot, either by submitting a copy of their ID, by providing a live capture image of their ID through an online portal, or by showing their ID to election officials when hand-delivering an absentee ballot application.

A voter who did not provide ID when requesting a ballot would have been required under the bill to provide two of the following three items: the last four digits of their Social Security number, their driver's license number or state identification card number, or a signature. The voter would have then been required to include a copy of their ID when returning their ballot by mail or to present their ID to election officials when returning the ballot in person.

Certain groups of voters, including overseas and military voters, individuals with a religious objection to being photographed, and individuals who cannot provide an ID due to disability or a medical condition, would have been exempt from providing a copy of their ID when returning an absentee ballot. They would have been allowed to sign an affirmation and submit their driver’s license number, state identification card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number when returning their ballot.

In his veto message, DeWine said the bill was "all burden for so little benefit" and "would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security, and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans who vote by mail."

State Treasurer Robert Sprague (R), who is running for secretary of state, said, "Photo ID is a common sense, commonplace requirement in everyday life and the most trustworthy means of ensuring that a person is who they say they are. The legislation would have served as a significant deterrent to mail-in voter fraud and made Ohio elections more secure, which is the point."

HB 472 passed the Ohio House 60-34 on June 10, with 60 Republicans voting in favor and 33 Democrats and one Republican voting against. Later that day, the Ohio Senate passed the bill 23-10, with 23 Republicans voting in favor and nine Democrats and one Republican voting against.

A spokesperson for Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R) told WEWS that legislators were evaluating their next steps following the veto. Lawmakers would need 60 votes in the Ohio House and 20 votes in the Ohio Senate to override DeWine’s veto. The Ohio General Assembly is next scheduled to be in session in September.

Ohio currently requires photo ID for in-person voting. Earlier this year, legislators approved a ballot measure for the November 3 election asking voters whether to place Ohio's voter ID requirement in the state constitution.

Currently, Ohio is one of two states, along with Georgia, that require voters to provide either a copy of their photo identification or an identification number when applying for and returning an absentee/mail-in ballot in certain situations.

Three states — Alabama, Kentucky, and New Hampshire — require voters to provide a copy of their photo identification when requesting an absentee/mail-in ballot. Two states — Arkansas and North Carolina — require voters to submit a copy of their photo identification when returning an absentee/mail-in ballot.

Eight states require voters to provide a copy of their photo identification when applying for an absentee/mail-in ballot in certain situations. Two states — Oklahoma and South Carolina — require voters to provide a copy of their photo identification when returning an absentee/mail-in ballot in certain situations.

Twenty-one states require some or all voters to provide an identification number, such as a driver’s license or Social Security number, when returning or requesting an absentee ballot.

Two states — Louisiana and Rhode Island — have enacted three bills related to voter ID for absentee/mail-in voting in 2026. Nationally, 23 states have introduced 57 bills related to voter ID for absentee/mail-in voting this year.