Ohio voters deserve clear, affirmative information from their secretary of state

It’s no secret that today’s information environment is difficult to navigate.

We are mired in conspiracy theories, artificial intelligence, and the peddling of misinformation by some of this country’s top leaders.

As a result, obtaining and sharing clear, factual, and accessible information from trusted messengers has never been more important. 

This need for clarity from official sources is why the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office’s decision to post information that could easily mislead voters about what identification is needed to cast their ballots on Election Day is so concerning. 

The posters depicted large images of documents like a certificate of naturalization, birth certificate, and certificate of citizenship, as ‘acceptable proof of citizenship,’ which are only required at a polling place if a voter is challenged on the grounds that they are not a citizen and the voter wants to vote a regular ballot instead of a provisional ballot.

The poster placed the actual forms of identification which all voters must show when voting in the fine print at the bottom of the document — potentially confusing voters on whether they could or could not vote on election day.

It is bad enough that voters are forced to navigate increasingly muddied information online, but to be served information from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office that could misinform and dissuade voters from participating in elections is deeply unsettling and disrespectful to Ohioans. 

These flyers are clearly confusing and seem designed to score points with the federal government.

The impacts are also clear — the inclusion of documents that many Ohioans don’t have easy access to could keep some voters from voting at all, especially voters of color, senior or youth voters, or naturalized citizens. 

Election officials across the state are already tasked with implementing legislative changes, with limited resources to educate voters.

Local election administrators have enough to do without having to fact-check the Secretary of State’s office’s materials.

To see the office use its power to require hanging this confusing flyer undermines the work of those officials as they try to ensure that elections are run lawfully and that their communities can exercise their constitutional freedom to vote — something that seems further and further away with every legislative session. 

The citizens of our state deserve clear and accurate information to weigh in on the policies and people who will make decisions that impact their daily lives.

We believe these posters belong in the recycling bin and should not be posted in the 2026 general elections.

Instead, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose should require signage that clearly displays the forms of identification that are accepted — an Ohio driver’s license or identification card, a United States passport or passport card, or a U.S. military ID card, U.S. military dependent ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card, or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card. 

In a world filled with misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies from so many of our leaders, we must require the utmost commitment to the truth from the Ohio Secretary of State and other trusted messengers whose voices must remain trusted, nonpartisan, and rooted in the values of democracy.