Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill that would have required voters to show a photo ID when voting by mail. The bill, which was passed by Republican lawmakers, aimed to expand the state’s existing photo ID requirement for in-person voting to include mail-in ballots.

Background

The vetoed bill, known as House Bill 472, was introduced as an amendment to a noncontroversial bill providing free IDs and other government documents to people experiencing homelessness. The bill passed along party lines, with no Democratic votes. Governor DeWine expressed concerns that the bill would pose an unwieldy challenge for voters without providing any real benefit to the state’s election security.

DeWine’s decision was met with praise from the Ohio League of Women Voters, who commended the governor for his wise veto of the hastily written legislation. On the other hand, Republican lawmakers, including Senate leader Rob McColley, criticized the veto, arguing that photo ID laws are supported by the vast majority of voters and are a common-sense election security measure.

Implications

The veto does not affect a separate constitutional amendment that will be put to voters in November, which would require photo ID for in-person voting and give lawmakers leeway to require it for other forms of voting. The amendment’s fate will be decided by Ohio voters, as the governor has no role in sending proposed constitutional amendments to voters.

DeWine’s veto may still be overturned by Republican lawmakers if they can garner enough votes in the Ohio House and Senate before the end of the year. However, with the current legislative session coming to a close and no scheduled sessions until after the November election, it remains to be seen whether the veto will be overturned.

Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.