Ohio Voters Enshrine Photo ID in Constitution
Lucas County voters elected Democrats in most races as Issue 3 passed statewide with 63.59 percent approval.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Should Ohio's photo ID requirement to vote be written into the state constitution?
Voters in Lucas County and across Ohio cast ballots in the November 2026 midterm election, with 53.1 percent of Lucas County's registered voters participating. Ohio voters approved Issue 3, enshrining the state's photo ID requirement to vote in the constitution, by 63.59 percent.
Why it matters
The vote places Ohio's existing voter identification rule beyond the reach of ordinary legislation, while local results show Democrats carrying most Lucas County races. Local levies and an ballot measure for neighborhood safety funding in Toledo produced mixed outcomes for city and school finances.
Lucas County registered voter turnout reached 53.1 percent, and Issue 3 passed statewide with 63.59 percent approval. Issue 9's Toledo Public Schools levy passed with 55.86 percent, costing $242 per $100,000 of estimated property value, while Issue 16 failed with 54.04 percent opposed.
The players
Amy Acton
Acton is a Democratic politician who won the Ohio governor race alongside running mate David Pepper with 52.3 percent of the vote.
Sherrod Brown
Brown is a former U.S. senator from Ohio who won the 2026 U.S. Senate race with 50 percent of the vote.
Marcy Kaptur
Kaptur is a longtime U.S. Representative from Ohio's 9th District, of which Toledo is a major part, who won re-election with 52.7 percent.
The details
Lucas County voters elected Democratic candidates across most statewide and local races, including Amy Acton and David Pepper for governor and lieutenant governor and Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate. Voters also approved Issue 8, a five-year levy for Toledo Lucas County Public Library operations with 53.06 percent, and rejected Issue 16, which would have funded neighborhood safety in Toledo.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Midterm election held and ballots cast in Lucas County and across Ohio.
Legal Context
Issue 3 moves Ohio's photo ID voting requirement from statute into the state constitution, which makes future changes require a constitutional amendment. The 63.59 percent approval margin indicates broad statewide support for the measure.
Ohio voters will need to show photo identification when casting ballots, as the requirement is now part of the state constitution. Toledo residents will see the Issue 9 school levy cost $242 per $100,000 of property value, while Issue 8 continues library funding through a five-year levy.
The takeaway
Ballot measures on voter identification and local levies can have lasting effects beyond a single election cycle. Residents who want to understand how their own property taxes and voting requirements are set should review the full text of each measure on their county board of elections website.
Further reading
For more on how state ballot measures and candidate races are tracked, see Elections.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Toledo Free Press.
Live Poll
Should Ohio's photo ID requirement to vote be written into the state constitution?
