Ingram Condemns Passage of S.J.R. 10

Today, state Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement after Republicans in the Ohio Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 10, which would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that requires Ohioans to present photo ID to vote, despite Ohio law already requiring voters to do so.

“We are allowing outside political actors, alongside members of this legislature, to push a constitutional amendment that further restricts voter access under the guise of preventing voter fraud,” said Ingram. “Republican leaders repeatedly tell Ohioans our elections are secure, yet they are rushing this proposal through the legislature anyway. Ohioans want their voices heard, not new barriers to the ballot box. This amendment is a solution in search of a problem and would make it harder for eligible voters to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

Democrats offered amendments that would have expanded the list of acceptable photo ID; required the state to provide free state IDs and support for accessing the documents needed to obtain such ID; allowed same-day voter registration; and restored the provisional ballot protection that was removed in the substitute version. All of these amendments were tabled.

S.J.R. 10 or H.J.R. 9, companion legislation in the House, must pass each chamber with a three-fifths vote by August 5 to get on the ballot this November. 

S.J.R. 10 now heads to the Ohio House for consideration.