The Ohio Senate just passed Senate Joint Resolution 10, a constitutional amendment that would permanently enshrine voter photo ID requirements into state law — and by "permanently," we mean the kind of permanent that gives Democrats night sweats. No more waiting for the next blue wave to roll it back. No more activist judges legislating from the bench. This one gets welded into the state constitution, and the only way to undo it is to convince Ohio voters to un-do it. Best of luck with that.

They learned from watching other states lose ground. This time, they're locking the door AND hiding the key.

Ohio already requires photo ID on Election Day — that's been the law since 2023. But state GOP leaders recognized that a statute is only as durable as the next legislature's willingness to keep it on the books. Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Republican from Bowling Green, laid out exactly why the upgrade matters. Under the old system, she noted, "any person could show a random bank statement or utility bill in order to cast a ballot." A bank statement. Like you're cashing a check at a payday lender, not exercising the most sacred right in a democratic republic.

SJR 10 would require voters to "provide identification in order to vote, in accordance with laws passed by the General Assembly." The language gives the legislature flexibility on implementation while locking the core principle — you have to prove you're you — into constitutional concrete. According to Patriot News Alerts, Senate President Rob McColley, a Republican from Napoleon, has been driving the effort as part of the broader push to give election integrity measures permanence well beyond the current statute.

Now, it's not perfect. Sen. Al Cutrona, a Republican from Canfield, raised a legitimate concern about a gap in the amendment's language. "When you mail in your ballot, you should have to have some type of form of ID," Cutrona said. He's right. The amendment as written focuses on in-person voting, and critics have pointed out that it excludes mail and absentee voters from the photo ID requirement. That's a hole that needs patching before November.

But here's the thing — the perfect shouldn't be the enemy of the very, very good. Getting voter ID into the constitution is the structural win. You can tighten the absentee provisions through follow-up legislation. You can't un-amend a constitution with a party-line vote at 2 a.m. on a Friday. That's the whole point.

A companion proposal is already moving through the Ohio House on a similarly expedited timeline. The resolution was introduced just two weeks before the Senate vote, which tells you everything about the urgency Republicans feel. They know the window is open. They know November is coming. And they know that if this makes the ballot, Ohio voters will approve it — because the only people who oppose showing ID to vote are the people who benefit from voters who can't.

The amendment heads to the House next and, if approved, goes before Ohio voters on the November ballot. That's the beautiful part. Democrats can scream about "voter suppression" all day long, but they'll have to convince actual voters that proving your identity is somehow an assault on democracy. We've seen how that argument plays. It doesn't.

Ohio just showed every red state in America how it's done. Don't just pass a law. Amend the constitution. Make it permanent. Make them come to the voters to undo it. Belt and suspenders, baby.