by Russ Smith

What do I need to bring for identification to vote on election day or to vote early at the Board of Elections offices? 

     Changes to the law governing identification needed to vote went into effect for the May 2nd, 2023 Primary/Special Election. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ website at: https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/voters/2023-ohio-voting-law-changes spells out the new requirements under the following links: Identification for Voting on Election Day at the Polls AND for Voting Early In-Person at the Board of Elections,

     The Board of Elections says the following are acceptable forms of identification (ID) for voting a regular ballot at the polls on Election Day and for voting early in-person at the Board of Elections: 1) An Ohio driver license (must be unexpired but may be suspended or may have voter’s previous address); 2) An Ohio state ID card (must be unexpired but may have voter’s previous address);  3) An interim identification form issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; 4) A U.S. passport or passport card (was previously not a valid form of ID); 5) A U.S. military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card, or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card (that includes the voter’s name and photograph)

     Digital (or copy) versions of ID are not acceptable, except for the Veteran ID Card (VIC) issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs, as the VIC is now only issued digitally.

     No Longer Accepted form of ID for voting are: Current utility bill, bank statement, government check; paycheck, other government document, and concealed carry permit.  Also, a voter can no longer provide the last four digits of their SSN and vote a regular ballot during Early In-Person voting.

Free State ID Cards

“What documents do I need in order to get a free ID card from the BMV?”

Key Changes: Beginning April 7th, 2023, any person 17 and over who applies for and receives a state ID card from the BMV will receive it for free. New law deems a state ID card as the primary form of photo ID for a person who does not hold any type of driver license or whose driver license is suspended. Visit the Ohio BMV website, Ohio ID Card section for details on identity documents that are acceptable to provide proof of the following: 1) Full legal name; Date of birth; Social Security number (if ever assigned); Legal presence; and Ohio residency.

To receive a state ID card, you must visit a deputy registrar license agency in Ohio.   Some nearby locations include: 7000 Biddulph Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144; 8039 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103; 3345 Edgecliff Terrace, Cleveland, Ohio 44111; and 2765 East 55th Street, Suite 4, Cleveland, Ohio 44104 

What to bring to a deputy registrar agency or documentation required to obtain free state ID card?

Documents you bring to the BMV deputy registrar’s office must prove the following: Full Legal Name; Date of Birth; Proof of U.S. Legal Presence; Social Security Number; Proof of Address; and Legal Name change if applicable. https://bmvonline.dps.ohio.gov/bmvonline/Home/documents/standarddocuments/

Note that the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections contains a link to the “Bureau of Motor Vehicles website Ohio ID Card section.” Found within this section is a link to “Acceptable documents” for identification. For more information visit the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website at: https://bmvonline.dps.ohio.gov/bmvonline/Home/documents/standarddocuments/

From the above link there are further links.  One of which is “standard card acceptable documents” at https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-identity-documents.aspx

There are two ways to access the acceptable documents. The first provides a pdf checklist in three different languages (English, Spanish and Somali).  The second way to access acceptable documents is an interactive checklist that uses green arrows to confirm you have all documents needed before going to the BMV deputy registrar agency office.  The interactive checklist provides an a-la-cart list of over 50 types of documents you can choose from the ensure you have the six required bits of information to take to the BMV deputy registrar agency office.  Documents range from original or certified copies of birth certificate to a passport.

This reporter finds nine different documents that can be used to prove legal name, date of birth, and legal presence. These are only the first three of six required documents needed to obtain a free ID. 1) BIRTH CERTIFICATE – Birth record, either original or certified copy, issued by an appropriate governmental agency of any state, territory, or possession of the United States. 2) A UNITED STATES PASSPORT or A UNITED STATES PASSPORT CARD – Valid and unexpired with photograph. 3) A CONSULAR REPORT OF BIRTH ABROAD – Issued by the United States Department of State, Form FS-240, DS-1350 or FS. 4) CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION – Form N-550 or Form N-570 issued by DHS   5) CERTIFICATE OF CITIZENSHIP – Form N-560 or Form N-561 issued by DHS.  6) CERTIFIED COPY OF COURT ORDER – Must contain the full name and date of birth of the applicant and signed by judge or magistrate. 7) UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS) DOCUMENTS – Appropriate documents, must be original and valid, or like documents issued by the successor agency to the USCIS showing the dates of legal presence. 8) MILITARY IDENTIFICATION – A valid United States military service or dependent identification document with photograph. 9) OFFENDER RELEASE IDENTIFICATION CARD.

WHAT YOU NEED to Register to vote on-line

To register online you will need to provide the following: 1) Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number; 2) Name; 3) Date of Birth; 4) Address; and 5) Last four digits of your Social Security number.

You will not need to submit any documents, merely enter your driver’s license number and social security number last four digits.  You can download and mail in a paper form.  This is the link to register to vote: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/ .