In response to a May 23rd Wall Street Journal editorial by Kansas Secretary of State Kris W. Kobach titled “The Case for Voter ID,” Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) has released the following statement:

“The ability of citizens to cast their votes and make their voices heard is a hallmark of the democratic process, one that legislators must continue to uphold today. And just like the Ohio legislature, state legislatures in Kansas, Georgia, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin and others are working on strengthening their states’ voter identification laws to protect elections from being diluted or manipulated. I appreciate that other states are moving forward on legislation similar to Ohio’s House Bill 159 in a cooperative, bipartisan manner, and I hope to see this bill gain support from the Ohio Senate, Ohio’s Secretary of State, and Ohio’s Democrats who believe that Election Day loopholes and dishonest voting practices should be rectified. The sanctity and security of our voting process is crucial to public confidence in our election system.”

Chairman of the House State Government and Elections Committee Bob Mecklenborg (R-Green Twp.) has released the following statement:

“I am pleased to see that other states are taking action on this important issue. Photo identification is necessary for so many other aspects of life, and I believe that utilizing a photo ID for voting purposes will cause no undue burden on voters. The only goal of House Bill 159 is to ensure the integrity and security of our elections and bring our Election Day laws into the 21st century.”