Republican Gov. Mike DeWine just sided with “radical leftists” over Ohio voters who want secure elections, according to a leading conservative group, after he vetoed a bill that would have required photo ID for mail-in ballots.
The Wednesday night veto of House Bill 472 sparked immediate backlash from GOP legislators and election integrity advocates, with Heritage Action’s director of sentinel strategy, Stephanie Kreuz, calling the move a “huge betrayal to Ohio voters who expect secure elections.”
“Requiring absentee voters to verify their identity is common sense,” Kreuz told The Daily Signal. “By rejecting this measure, Gov. DeWine has chosen to side with radical leftists over reasonable Americans who support strong voter ID protections.”
But the fight isn’t over. House Speaker Matt Huffman signaled that Republican leaders plan to review DeWine’s concerns and evaluate next steps, with 60 out of 65 Republican members of the Ohio House having supported the measure.
“The overwhelming majority of Ohio House Republicans remain committed to protecting the integrity of Ohio’s election system,” Huffman said.
DeWine defended his veto in a statement, claiming the bill “would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security, and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans who vote by mail.” He called it “all burden for so little benefit.”
The governor also praised Ohio’s current election system, citing Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s comments that Ohio elections are “the gold standard nationwide.”
Among DeWine’s concerns were the logistics of verifying photo IDs and costs the secretary of state’s office would incur maintaining a portal and supporting the Board of Elections.
He also pointed to warnings from the Ohio Association of Election Officials that “senior citizens, individuals living in long-term care facilities, voters with mobility challenges, and those with limited access to technology may face additional burdens that could discourage participation or prevent otherwise eligible voters from casting a ballot.”
Senate President Rob McColley, the Republican pick for lieutenant governor, expressed disappointment and pointed to the widespread popularity of voter ID requirements among Ohio residents.
“Photo ID laws are supported by a vast majority of Ohio voters,” McColley said. “It is disappointing the governor would oppose such a common sense election security bill when Democrat controlled states such as Virginia and Hawaii have repealed their photo ID laws.”
Recent polling from Honest Elections Project Action confirms that voter ID is popular with likely Ohio voters, including the specific provision requiring identification for mail-in ballots.
McColley noted that the vetoed bill, combined with a constitutional amendment on this fall’s ballot requiring photo identification to vote, “would have given Ohioans the confidence to know that their election system was the most secure in the country.”
State Sen. Jane Timken, who sponsored the resolution for that state ballot initiative, issued similar warnings about voter ID laws being repealed in other states, including Virginia.
Heritage Action made clear the conservative movement isn’t backing down.
“Ohio has led on election integrity, but this veto is a step back,” Kreuz said. “Gov. DeWine has needlessly obstructed election reform that would help strengthen the security of Ohio’s elections for future generations. Heritage Action is grateful for the Ohio legislators who are standing with voters in making it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
With a veto override requiring a three-fifths majority in both chambers and strong Republican support already on record, the Buckeye State’s voter ID battle may be far from finished.
