A new Ohio law requires voters to submit a photo ID when voting by mail, starting in November 2027. Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Director Anthony Perlatti is worried that this new law may create confusion for Ohioans using absentee ballots in the upcoming November election.

Details of the Law

The law, passed along party lines, requires the secretary of state to create an online portal to allow voters to request an absentee ballot and to accept a photo ID. However, Perlatti and other election officials are concerned about the lack of clarity on how to store and retain copies of voters’ photo IDs, how to verify that the copies haven’t been tampered with, and what photo database the photos will be compared against.

Perlatti, a Democrat, told Signal Cleveland that he’s not opposed to requiring ID to vote by mail, but he doesn’t like this bill. He believes it leaves too many details unclear and could potentially disenfranchise voters if implemented poorly.

Implementation Concerns

Gov. Mike DeWine has until next Wednesday to sign the bill. Even if he signs it, Perlatti said that until the Ohio Secretary of State’s office issues directives on many of the bill’s requirements, he and other leaders can’t begin preparing. The new law requires the secretary of state to create an online portal to allow voters to request an absentee ballot, a change from the current system, which requires voters to fill out and mail in or hand deliver a paper form.

Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.