photo ID requirement

A federal judge in Arkansas ruled that several state laws imposing restrictions on citizen ballot initiatives, such as requiring photo ID for petition signers, violated free speech rights. The decision supported challenges by the League of Women Voters of Arkansas and other groups, while Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester announced plans to appeal.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 472, which would have required absentee voters to provide a copy of their driver’s license or state ID starting in 2027. The bill, passed by Ohio Republicans, aimed to strengthen election integrity but was criticized by DeWine as unnecessary and burdensome, with no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Ohio.

South Carolina voters will participate in primary runoffs on June 23 to determine nominees for governor, attorney general, U.S. House, and other offices. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters must present valid photo ID. The runoffs follow June 9 primaries where no candidates secured a majority, requiring top-two vote-getters to face off.

California voters will decide in November whether to require photo ID to cast a ballot, a measure supported by Republican Carl DeMaio and opposed by Democrats. Nearly 1 million Californians signed in support, but the law faces historic opposition. The effort aligns with conservative voter ID initiatives bolstered by Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud.