COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republicans are evaluating whether they have the votes to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of legislation requiring a photo ID to vote by mail.
After two weeks of rallying, sending emails and leaving voicemails on the governor's official line, voting rights advocates like Jen Miller say they feel heard by their Republican governor.
"I trusted that DeWine would do the right thing here," Miller, executive director at the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said. "It was just common sense to veto this legislation."
Late Wednesday night, the governor vetoed House Bill 472, a controversial bill that would have required voters to show photo ID to cast a mail-in ballot.
RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes bill requiring photo ID to mail-in vote
"This is a victory for all those Ohioans who prefer voting absentee, and that includes senior citizens, people with disabilities, college students, and other Ohioans who just like being able to vote in the privacy of their own home," Miller said.
In his veto message, DeWine said that the bill was “not needed” and doesn’t accomplish the GOP’s goal of “election integrity,” saying it “would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security, and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans who vote by mail.”
"H.B. 472 is all burden for so little benefit," DeWine said.
He noted that the bill had technical errors, and also didn’t provide any funding for election officials to set up the new online portal to submit photo ID.
CLICK HERE to read the governor's full veto message.
"Very, very unfortunate that it was vetoed," state Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) said.
Thomas is one of the dozen Republicans we spoke to who are pushing to override the veto.
"It's a policy I don't think will be going away anytime soon," he added.
Since the bill wasn’t set to go into effect until November 2027, he said the issues DeWine mentioned could have been worked out.
"There's a reason that this was not put in place for 2026 — that gives time for folks to really see, actually, in the phase-in side of the legislation," Thomas said. "There's always improvements, always changes with pieces of legislation, so that is certainly not a reason to veto."
He denied that the legislation would have hurt vulnerable Ohioans, only bad actors.
To be clear, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s audits have proven there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
"We are disappointed by the Governor’s veto of House Bill 472, despite 60 out of 65 Republican members of the Ohio House and growing public demand for stronger election safeguards, including voter ID protections," House Speaker Matt Huffman's spokesperson, Olivia Wile, said in a statement. "We will review Governor DeWine’s concerns and evaluate next steps. The overwhelming majority of Ohio House Republicans remain committed to protecting the integrity of Ohio’s election system.”
State Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) would vote no on an override, he said.
"Let's get it right, rather than trying to hurry through a bill that has a lot of holes," Ferguson, who was absent for the original vote, said.
Sixty votes are needed to override the governor, but at least four Republicans who voted to support H.B. 472 told me they, at this point, will not agree to supersede DeWine.
Miller knows that more changes to election laws are likely coming under the GOP supermajority, but is hopeful that they will be better written and will not disenfranchise voters.
"Making sure that our elections work well and that everyone can access their vote and be heard is bigger than any one party," Miller said.
The lawmakers are not set to return from summer recess until after the November election.
Other reactions
Sec. LaRose
"I’ve long been an advocate for both a strict photo ID requirement and an online absentee ballot application system, and I told the governor we could effectively implement the bill if he signed it. He chose a different path. Regardless, it’s clear that we need to continue planning and moving forward. I’m confident Ohioans will overwhelmingly approve a constitutional photo ID amendment this fall, and the General Assembly will revisit this legislation.
"My team will continue to prepare an implementation strategy for the next Secretary of State that considers the technology, security, testing, and resources required for a resilient online absentee ballot application system. A project of this scale demands careful planning and flawless execution. My goal is to help develop a durable, defensible policy that withstands the inevitable legal challenges from groups who want to make our elections less secure. Ohio is the national gold standard for elections, and we’ll keep it that way."
Republican Sec. of State Nominee Robert Sprague
“I support photo ID for all forms of voting, and it’s disappointing that the Governor has vetoed HB 472. Photo ID is a common sense, commonplace requirement in everyday life and the most trustworthy means of ensuring that a person is who they say they are. The legislation would have served as a significant deterrent to mail-in voter fraud and made Ohio elections more secure, which is the point.
"The bill was not a panacea, but it was a reasonable attempt to apply the security of photo identification equally to all methods of voting. The hysteria on the left over photo ID is driven by extremists who lie about photo ID and are comfortable with illegal aliens voting in our elections.
"My priority as Secretary of State is to run the most secure elections in Ohio history, and to that end, as Secretary, I will work with the legislature and Governor...to ensure that all forms of voting are secure, that fraud is prevented, and that cheaters are caught and prosecuted."
Democratic Sec. of State Nominee Allison Russo
"I fully support Governor DeWine’s decision to veto HB472, which would have created unnecessary barriers to mail-in voting for eligible voters and unfunded mandates for both our County Boards of Elections and the Secretary of State’s office. Ohio’s existing mail-in voting process is secure and has worked very well for thousands of Ohioans during every election cycle. As I noted during my floor speech opposing this legislation, this bill was rushed, half-baked, and did absolutely nothing to secure Ohio’s elections."
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