Blackshear Condemns Passage of S.J.R. 10

Today, state Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr (D-Dayton) 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.

“This constitutional amendment is unnecessary and ultimately a distraction from issues that people actually care about,” said Blackshear. “Photo ID is already required to vote under Ohio law, and this resolution fails to consider key voter protections.”

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.