Ohio gun owners know what is at stake when politicians talk about “election integrity.”
It is not some abstract policy debate.
It determines whether the votes of law-abiding pro-gun Ohioans are protected, or whether potentially fraudulent votes are allowed to water them down.
Right now, two constitutional amendments are moving through the Ohio General Assembly.
House Joint Resolution 9 is pending in the House General Government Committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 10 is pending in the Senate General Government Committee.
Both resolutions would place voter ID language into the Ohio Constitution.
But there is a major problem.
As introduced, these resolutions require photo ID for in-person voting, but they do not require photo ID for absentee mail-in ballots.
That means if a voter shows up at the polls, they would be required to meet a photo ID standard.
But if a ballot is cast by mail, that same photo ID requirement would not apply.
That is not good enough.
If Ohio is going to place voter ID protections in the Constitution, then those protections must apply across the board.
One election system.
One photo ID standard.
Every ballot.
That means photo ID should be required for in-person voting, early voting, and absentee mail-in voting.
Because if photo ID matters at the polling place, it matters for mail-in ballots, too.
And yes, this is a gun rights issue.
The politicians who write, enforce, and defend Ohio’s gun laws are chosen through elections.
If pro-gun voters cannot trust that their lawful votes are protected, then the political process used to defend the Second Amendment is weakened.
If potentially fraudulent votes are allowed to water down the votes of pro-gun American patriots, then our political voice is being attacked.
That is why Ohio Gun Owners is calling on members of the House and Senate General Government Committees to amend H.J.R. 9 and S.J.R. 10.
These resolutions must require photo ID for every form of voting in Ohio.
Not just in-person voting.
All voting.
Including absentee mail-in ballots.
Ohio Gun Owners will be scoring votes on these resolutions and related amendments as Tier One votes.
Please use the form on this page to contact committee members right now and tell them to amend H.J.R. 9 and S.J.R. 10 to require photo ID for every Ohio ballot.