1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to demand that you uphold Governor DeWine's wise veto of HB 472 and stop wasting time and taxpayer money on a problem that does not exist. Do not attempt a veto override. Every single legitimate study—from Ohio's own bipartisan election officials to the conservative Heritage Foundation—shows that voter fraud is incredibly rare, representing a tiny fraction of a percent. As Governor DeWine rightly stated in his veto, Ohio already does an excellent job running safe, secure elections. HB 472 is an unnecessary, burdensome bill for three clear reasons: 1. It doesn't solve any real problem while disenfranchising real voters. As the Governor pointed out, a photo ID is meant to match a face in person. Requiring it for mail-in ballots gives election officials zero tools to fight fraud, but it will create massive barriers that discourage seniors, rural voters, and people with mobility issues from voting. 2. It creates massive identity theft and privacy risks. Forcing citizens to mail physical photocopies of their private state IDs, or upload photos of their faces and identity documents into a new government system, creates an immediate target for hackers. We should not expose regular Ohioans to identity theft just to "fix" an invented crisis. 3. It is a massive waste of money and an unfunded mandate. According to the Legislative Service Commission, building this unworkable online portal will cost significant taxpayer dollars, yet the legislature provided absolutely zero funding for it. Forcing county election boards to implement complex tech systems without a dime of funding is unproductive and fiscally irresponsible. Instead of trying to override a Republican governor's veto to push restrictive laws, I expect my lawmakers to focus on real challenges like jobs, infrastructure, and local schools. Listen to our county election boards, listen to the Governor, and leave our secure voting system alone. Please vote NO on any attempt to override the veto of HB 472.