Ask Axios: How do Ohio's new voter rules affect absentee voters?

Diane D. writes: I would greatly appreciate an explanation of the new voter rules, especially photo ID and absentee voting. I haven't been able to find how mail-in ballots would be counted since they will not include photo ID.

👋 Tyler here. This is a logical question that I'm sure many absentee voters are also wondering.

• So I turned to the 82-page bill text for the answer.

First things first: Those casting in-person absentee ballots will follow the same rules as those voting on Election Day.

• That means bringing an eligible photo ID to your county board of elections office to vote early.

However, voting by mail is now a little different.

• To request and submit a mail-in ballot, voters must provide one of the following: a driver's license number, state ID number or the last four digits of one's social security number.
• Another option is providing images of the front and back of your photo ID (or just the ID page of a passport).

The bottom line: Absentee ballot request forms will spell out exactly which information is necessary, but it's never a bad idea to double check with your county's elections office.

🙏 Thanks to Diane for the question! Email [email protected] to send us an "Ask Axios" question and we'll track down the answer.