Before You Vote: What Issue 3 Actually Changes

By RoShawn Winburn, Dayton Weekly News

I've heard the same question many times this month, "Is Issue 3 the new voter ID law?"

No. Ohio already has that law. Since 2023, you've needed a photo ID to vote in person here. Issue 3 asks whether that rule should be written into the Ohio Constitution.

While lawmakers can change a law, changing the constitution takes a vote of the people. If Issue 3 passes, the ID rule stays as written unless Ohio voters agree to change it. If it fails, the current law stays on the books, and the legislature can still revise it.

It is the only statewide question on your ballot, and it needs a simple majority to pass.

What counts as ID right now

To be valid, your ID has to be current and show your name and photo:

• Ohio driver's license or state ID card

• U.S. passport or passport card

• U.S. military, Ohio National Guard or VA ID card

Student IDs and out-of-state licenses don't count. If you vote by mail, Issue 3 doesn't add a photo requirement. It leaves those rules to the legislature.

The Ohio Republican Party is leading the yes campaign, and President Trump and Democratic governor nominee Amy Acton both support it. Their argument is simple: most Ohioans already back voter ID, so put it where a future legislature can't undo it.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and Ohio Citizen Action oppose it. They say strict ID rules land hardest on Black voters, seniors and students, the people least likely to carry a current license. They also point out that voter fraud in Ohio is rare and warn that freezing the ID list into the constitution could block options like digital IDs later.

I won't to tell you how to vote on Issue 3, but I am asking you to read the question yourself before you get to the booth, because ballot language is written by lawyers, not neighbors. You can read about Issue, and find candidate information, on the Montgomery County Board of Elections website at MCBOE.org.

Other ballot considerations include:

• The Dayton Public Schools levy: The district’s first request for new money since 2008 is a 7-mill levy costing about $245 per $100,000 of home value, and it has split the business community. The Chamber says vote no, while the superintendent warns that failure could mean closing schools.

• The judges at the bottom of your ballot: Juvenile Court (Judge Nicholas Sylvain vs. Magistrate Hope Smalls), Probate Court (Judge David Brannon vs. Cassandra Rice) and an open Common Pleas seat decide custody, estates and youth cases, yet few voters research them.

• One more race is worth a look: Ohio House District 39 is an open seat covering Huber Heights, Vandalia and Englewood. Central State graduate Daquan Neal (D) faces Huber Heights council member Mark Campbell (R) in a district where the Black population is growing.

How to vote in Montgomery County

• Early voting is open now at the Montgomery County Board of Elections, 451 W. Third St., Dayton. Weekdays are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 23. Hours stretch later starting Oct. 26, and there are weekend hours on Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. There is no voting on Monday, Nov. 2.

• Absentee ballot applications must reach the board by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

• Mailed ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Don't drop them at your polling place.

• Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Questions? Call the board at (937) 225-5656.

Check your polling place, and bring your ID.  Then bring somebody with you!