Matt Huffman is speaker of the Ohio House and previously served as Ohio Senate president.
Ken Cuccinelli serves as chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative at The Heritage Foundation.
Ohioans have the opportunity this November toenshrine voter identification protections in our constitution, ensuring our elections remain secure, accessible and trusted for generations to come.
The right to vote is one of the most important freedoms we have as Americans. It’s also one of our greatest responsibilities, and it deserves to be protected. When Ohioans cast their ballots, they should be confident that their vote is protected and that the integrity of our elections is upheld.
That is exactly why State Issue 3 matters.
In 2022, the Ohio General Assemblychose
to strengthen election integrity by requiring photo identification for in-person voting. Issue 3 would take the next step by ingraining those protections in the Ohio Constitution.
Ohio voters are not being asked to adopt a new standard. Issue 3 is about protecting a standard that Ohioans support and already follow. In fact, this practical policy has been in place for 11 statewide elections.
We use identification every day to verify who we are. We show it when we board a plane, rent a car and complete countless other routine activities. Verifying our identity when voting should not be viewed as unreasonable; it should be viewed as common sense.
Some may ask why this needs to be part of the Constitution when Ohio already has voter ID laws in place. The answer is simple: Ohio laws can change within a future General Assembly. Constitutional protections require the people of Ohio to have a say in the matter.
Issue 3 would establish a constitutional floor for voter identification. If future lawmakers wanted to eliminate or substantially change these protections, they couldn’t do that simply by a vote at the Statehouse.
At its core, State Issue 3 is about defending current protections we have in place to maintain our election integrity and allow voters to use their voices on what matters most.
When Ohioans go to the polls, they should know their elections are secure. They should know their vote counts. And they should know the rules protecting the integrity of that vote cannot simply be changed.
Issue 3 gives Ohio voters the opportunity to make that protection permanent. In just a few short weeks, Ohioans will have the choice to protect that standard. Not just for today, but for generations to come.
Vote yes on Issue 3.
State Rep.Matt Huffman represents Ohio’s 78th House District and serves as speaker of the Ohio House after previously serving as Ohio Senate president.
Ken Cuccinelli serves as chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative at The Heritage Foundation and previously served as acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Virginia attorney general.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Election security is on the Ohio ballot. Voters should enshrine protections | Opinion
