Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked an amendment by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), the former Ohio secretary of state, that would have required voters to show photo ID when casting ballots in person or by mail, a vote that highlighted the party’s split between backing voter ID in principle and opposing the Republican version now tied to a broader elections fight.
Senate Blocks Standalone Voter ID Amendment
The amendment failed 53-47 and needed 60 votes to advance. The vote came in the second week of a marathon Senate debate over the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register and certain forms of photo ID to vote.
SAVE America Act Fight Intensifies
The bill itself still lacks the support needed to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, but President Donald Trump has pressured Republicans to find a path to force it through.
Before Thursday’s vote, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned in a press release that Husted’s amendment would “impose the single strictest voter ID law in America.” He argued, “This radical amendment would toss out every single voter ID requirement in all 50 states for federal elections and put in an overly restrictive, one-size-fits-all approach.”
Husted Defends Narrow Photo ID Proposal
Husted, ahead of the vote, described his proposal as “clean, simple, straightforward,” with “no additional restrictions, no tricks, no games, no prohibition on absentee voting.” He cited Schumer’s March 15 remark that Democrats support requiring voters to show identification, noting Schumer had pointed to the Freedom to Vote Act Democrats introduced in 2021.
According to a CBS News account of what went down on the Senate floor on Thursday, Husted said voters could use a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military veteran’s ID, or tribal ID. After Schumer denounced the amendment as another Republican attempt at voter suppression before the midterms, Husted called that criticism a “misrepresentation” because the amendment dealt only with voter ID.
It is worth noting that a CBS News poll released last week found broad public support for requiring a valid photo ID to vote.
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