‘Clear as mud’: Ohio’s new voting restrictions from GOP raise alarm

Two weeks after a Republican-backed voting law significantly reshaped Ohio’s election procedure, local officials, advocates and voters are still making sense of the changes — and how the alterations could restrict who might cast ballots in 2024.

One Ohio county office that had distributed about 5,000 veteran ID cards in total realized inadvertently it would no longer be an acceptable form of identification for registering to vote. The League of Women Voters has paused updating its election education material while it analyzes the new law. And local election officials are waiting to hear from the Ohio secretary of state about what IDs they will now accept, how long they can count votes and who can vote outside of polling places.

Legal challenges of the law could further complicate the situation: A federal lawsuit brought against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose by groups representing the homeless, teachers, seniors and veterans argues the restrictions are unconstitutional and suppress votes. Other advocacy groups told The Washington Post that they are considering legal action, too.

The legislation, which is now one of the most restrictive voter-ID laws in the country, comes as GOP-led legislatures are increasingly revamping their voting apparatuses following unfounded complaints of fraud by former president Donald Trump after he lost in 2020.

Before the new law, Ohio required voters to show identification at the polls, but it accepted a number of alternatives, including a utility bill, paystub or other documentation that could prove a person’s identity and residence. Now, the only acceptable forms include an Ohio driver’s license, state ID card, interim identification form, U.S. passport or federal military ID card.

The new law also reduces the number of days county election boards can count mailed ballots from 10 days after Election Day to four. Critics of the law argue that could restrict the counting of ballots from military members stationed outside of Ohio.

It also prohibits curbside voting — the practice of casting ballots from cars or outside polling places that was popularized during the coronavirus pandemic — unless the voter is “physically unable” to enter the building.

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