ATHENS, Ohio — Local school districts and colleges are scrambling to determine how they will implement recent state legislation that requires transgender people to use the bathroom of the sex they were assigned at birth. 

In late November, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 104 into law. In addition to prescribing bathroom use for all persons using school restrooms, the statute also prohibits public and private educational institutions from constructing multi-person, multi-gender restrooms.  

Ohio’s law brings the number of states with bathroom bills to an even dozen. 

Legislation targeting transgender people has exploded across the country in the past 10 years, limiting access to public restrooms and healthcare and participation in sports, among other measures. In 2024 alone, Ohio legislators passed three anti-trans bills — out of 14 that were introduced.

Both of Athens County’s state legislators voted for SB 104; Sen. Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) sponsored the bill. 

As Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) is term-limited, Kevin Ritter of Marietta will replace him next year. In an email, Ritter said, “I appreciate Representative Edwards voting to ensure the privacy of Ohio’s students.”

The law takes effect on Feb. 24, 2025; 90 days after DeWine signed the bill on the day before Thanksgiving. 

SB 104 puts school districts in a “tenuous” situation, Athens City School District Superintendent Tom Gibbs told the Independent. 

“Currently, there is some disagreement between the Federal Department of Education and guidance we have been provided and what is included in this new statute,” Gibbs said in an email. 

The district is consulting legal counsel about “to determine how best to move forward,” Gibbs wrote.

“District employees will be directed to continue to support and protect the rights of all students for the next 90 days while we await guidance from our legal counsel,” Gibbs said in an email. 

Federal Hocking Local Schools Superintendent Jason Spencer declined to comment, saying that he had not yet discussed the bill with the Federal-Hocking Board of Education. Alexander, Nelsonville-York and Trimble local school district superintendents did not respond to requests for comments.

Potential conflict with federal law

SB 104 presents Ohio educators with a Catch-22, Gibbs explained. Employees who don’t follow the new requirements can be reported for violating state law; if they do follow it, they risk violating federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title IX. 

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 

Title IX “applies to transgender students in public schools and universities,” Gibbs said, citing the U.S. Department of Justice. Athens City Schools’ Title IX coordinator is Director of Curriculum & Development Sommer McCorkle.

SB 104 does not contain any language about enforcement or penalties for violations of its restrictions. Similar bills in other states include fines and jail time as sanctions for violations, The Buckeye Flame reported. 

Gibbs noted that the district has standing policies “that specifically call for protecting student rights based on gender identity.” But SB 104 will force the district to “change or modify multiple policies to be in line with the state statute,” he said.

“And, District employees will be faced with the daily task of ascertaining when to follow Federal Title IX Guidance and when to follow the State Statutes related to transgender students,” Gibbs said. “It is difficult to say on one hand that we do not discriminate based on gender identity and then on the other to limit student’s participation in athletics or even where they can use the bathroom.”

The implied changes from SB 104 are “especially frustrating because we’ve had these policies and procedures in place for years without any complaint and before this even became the Federal guidance on the matter,” Gibbs said in an email.

“The complete lack of any nod towards the ‘local control’ that state legislators frequently espouse in regards to schools and municipalities apparently goes out the window in relation to how we address and protect the rights of transgender students,” Gibbs stated.

Gibbs also pointed to ongoing Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals case Doe v. Bethel, in which parents and students are suing Bethel Local School District for allowing a transgender child to use the restroom that matches her gender, the Ohio Capital Journal reported. 

“I am hopeful that case will come to [a] conclusion soon, as it would provide some additional context to the legal landscape surrounding this issue,” Gibbs said in an email.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education declined to comment on SB 104, but did note that federal laws supersede state laws.

Higher education

In an email, an Ohio University spokesperson said that OU “is aware that Senate Bill 104 has been formally signed into law, and we are currently reviewing the final version of the bill and its potential impact on established University processes and procedures.”

The spokesperson added, “OHIO has long been committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful environment for all students, staff and visitors, and we will continue to work to ensure that our public restroom signage and accommodations continue to meet the needs of our University community and remain compliant with all applicable state and federal laws.”

Casey Plett, an assistant professor of English and film at OU, said the university has not yet provided her with any guidance regarding the new law. 

“Anecdotally, from what I can see … it is increasing stress levels,” Plett said of her students. “I would worry very much about students who might be in the closet, who … might keep their identities secret … or keep their gender secret because of this, which is just a shame, and something that most other students don’t have to do.” 

For Plett, the “boogeyman” nature of anti-trans bathroom bills is not founded in reality.

“The opponents of trans youth, specifically, in public life — it’s always called an ‘experience of experimentation,’ and that is not true,” Plett said. “I think that it is bills like this that are the experimentation … It is making these kinds of draconian laws that — none of these laws existed four years ago. It is this kind of legislative activity that is the experiment, and I am very doubtful it was going to have good effects.”

Ohio University senior Rey De Spain, who is transgender, echoed Plett’s sentiments.

“I think it’s a massive overreach into the private lives of citizens and especially students,” they said.

De Spain said that in Athens, “I’ve never really encountered any problems using the public restrooms here.” However, since their freshman year, “I definitely think that transphobia has become a lot more visible.” 

In De Spain’s experience, “People are a lot more comfortable being openly transphobic … A lot of people feel more comfortable than I would like, verbally harassing others on the streets, especially when they’re drunk … I expect a little bit of that, but I do feel like this campus has become a lot less friendly already in the past couple years, when I compare it to my freshman year. I felt like it was an extremely safe place, and I was never really hassled.”

Overall, though, De Spain said they feel “very fortunate that I live in an area where people mostly mind their own business.”

De Spain believes that bathrooms already operate on a “good faith” system in which legal documents aren’t required to attend to bodily functions.

 “What all of us want in the bathroom is privacy, and a place to do our business and then wash our hands and leave,” De Spain said. “I think that a lot of the people pushing legislation like this don’t seem to understand how public restrooms function in the real world, and they think they’re protecting people, when really they’re putting people in danger.”

Hocking College Vice President of Student Affairs Hannah Guadda, who is the school’s Title IX coordinator, said in an email the institution “is currently reviewing the legislation to ensure compliance while maintaining our commitment to a safe, inclusive environment for all students. As we assess the bill’s impact, we remain dedicated to supporting our diverse student body.”

Resources: LGBTQ+ youths in crisis may contact the Trevor Project at 866-4-U-Trevor for assistance; adults in crisis, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also available; in case of emergency, always call 911.

The post Local schools, colleges respond to Ohio’s bathroom bill appeared first on Athens County Independent.

ATHENS, Ohio — Athens County voters will see a number of issues on their ballots in November, including a statewide constitutional amendment. 

Local issues include five countywide tax levies and 16 local levies. Of those, 14 are renewals, three are replacements, one is a replacement plus an increase, and two are new levies.

Ballots for Nelsonville will include a proposed ordinance to abolish the city charter. Voters in Athens Ward 3, Precinct 1, are being asked to approve Sunday sales of liquor at the Union Street Market. 

Election Day is Nov. 5. To participate without using an absentee or provisional ballot, Ohio residents must register to vote by Monday, Oct. 7. Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 8. Voters may register online. Find more information from the Athens County Board of Elections.

Learn more about how property taxes are assessed in our Voter Guide.

State and countywide issues

Issue 1

Ohio Issue 1 seeks to remove politicians from the state’s redistricting process. Currently, legislative district maps are drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which has seven members:

• One appointed by the senate president (Republican).
• One appointed by the speaker of the house (Republican).
• One appointed by the senate minority leader (Democrat).
• One appointed by the house minority leader (Democrat).
• The governor (Mike DeWine, Republican).
• The state auditor (Keith Faber, Republican).
• The secretary of state (Frank LaRose, Republican).

If passed, Issue 1 would do away with the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Instead, districts would be drawn by a newly created Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, whose 15 members would be private citizens with equal representation among Republicans, Democrats and independents. None of the members could be current or recent officeholders, members of their staffs or consultants, or lobbyists.

The Ohio Ballot Board rewrote the proposed ballot language, triggering a lawsuit from the bipartisan group behind the proposal. The Ohio Supreme Court case largely upheld the ballot board’s language on a 4–3 party-line vote. The language of the actual proposed amendment will be displayed at polling places. 

Athens County Public Libraries levy

Issue 17 is a replacement and increase of a 5-year levy for the Athens County Public Libraries. The levy would replace the library’s existing 1.2-mill levy and add 0.3 mills for a total of 1.5 mills that would generate an estimated $2.175 million per year.

The Athens County Auditor’s Office estimates that property owners would pay $47 per $100,000 of appraised value per year.

Libraries Director Nick Tepe said that increase is needed to make up for a 30% cut in state funding to libraries following the fiscal crisis in 2008. 

“Here in Athens, that resulted in reduction in hours, layoffs, and it really set us back on our heels here,” Tepe said. While state funding has increased slightly then, Tepe said, those increases have not kept up with inflation. 

In 2014, voters passed ACPL’s first 1-mill levy. That helped with issues such as deferred maintenance, but it “wasn’t really enough,” Tepe said. The libraries successfully sought a 0.2-mill increase in 2019, but Tepe said that costs have soared due to inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Libraries are a good investment of tax dollars, Tepe said.

“Here in Athens County, every dollar — every tax dollar that is spent on libraries — returns over $3 into the local economy; in terms of money that people save, in terms of economic development, getting folks the training that they need for their jobs, providing high-quality educational programming assistance with technology, access to the internet,” Tepe said. “There’s so many resources that we provide, and we do it very efficiently.”

The economic impact data Tepe cited came from the Ohio Library Council, he said, which “has worked with an economist to create a return-on-investment calculator. … It tells us what is the actual economic value to the community,” Tepe said.

The levy would also support the proposed upgrades at the libraries’ two biggest branches: the Athens Public Library and the Chauncey Public Library.

Improvements at the Athens Public Library would include new carpeting, lighting fixtures and additional meeting room spaces. The work in Chauncey is more extensive: It needs a larger building to accommodate the high usage of the current 1,000-square-foot building. 

The library system has secured property in Chauncey for the new building, but it is still figuring out how to pay for construction. 

“If we don’t have this levy supporting our operations, there’s no way that we would be able to take on a major building project like that,” Tepe said.

The recently formed library workers labor union — ACPL United — supports the passage of Issue 17, a representative said in a statement.

“The 5-year replacement levy, if passed, would continue a predictable and consistent funding source for county-wide library services and programs,” the union said in its statement. “Day-to-day, we are here to serve the county. … Our work is for you, and we are reminded of that every day. … This November, Athens County voters get to decide what the future of our libraries will look like.”

Athens County tuberculosis levy

Issue 19 is a renewal of a 5-year, 0.3 mill levy for continued testing and treatment of tuberculosis, as well as maintaining a reserve to deal with potential antibiotic-resistant cases. The levy would generate an estimated $213,000 per year; the cost to property owners is estimated at $4 per $100,000 of appraised value.

The Athens City–County Health Department is in charge of the state-mandated TB control unit. Most of its work is in testing, department administrator Jack Pepper said. Two groups of people make up the majority of tests, Pepper said: people whose jobs require a TB test and international students at Ohio University. Some of those students come from countries with high rates of tuberculosis infections, he noted, so it’s important to catch possible infections early on. 

Tuberculosis tests administered by type and year

Year	Skin	Blood
2019	815	57
2020	564	30
2021	473	23
2022	511	37
2023	395	45
2024	211	24

Most TB cases in Athens County are latent infections; the person doesn’t feel sick and doesn’t show symptoms. Their disease isn’t contagious, but it will be if the infection becomes active TB.  

Although TB is on the rise across the country, it is not rising in Athens County, Pepper said.

“It is only upon the rarest of occasions do we actually see active disease here in Athens County,” he said. “But as we see this increase around the country, it is our expectation that we will start to see an increase in active disease as well. It just hasn’t presented itself yet.”

State law requires counties to pay for treatment of those who can’t afford it. The county maintains a cash reserve of about $1 million toward that end; if passed, the levy would keep that reserve intact.

“The worst case scenario is that you have an antibiotic resistance case of tuberculosis, which can lead to long term inpatient care at a very specialized tuberculosis hospital, and it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Pepper said. 

Athens County EMS levy

Issue 20 is a renewal of a 5-year, 0.5 mill levy for the operation and continued maintenance of emergency medical services. The levy would generate about $557,000 per year, costing property owners $11 per $100,000 of appraised value.

“We run all emergency calls, all 911 calls in Athens County,” said Randy Crossen Jr., assistant chief of Athens County Emergency Medical Services. “We’re the only EMS provider in Athens County.” 

In 2023, the county passed a 1.5-mill additional levy for EMS to address rising costs. According to the county auditor’s 2023 comprehensive financial report, the number of basic-level transports has risen fairly steadily over the past 10 years. In 2023, the number of basic transports was nearly double what it was in 2014. 

The report also states that “the Ambulance Service Fund balance decreased by $240,195 or 169.84% due to increased expenditures for ambulance services during 2023.” The service ended 2023 with a nearly $99,000 fund deficit.

Athens County senior services levy

Issue 21 is a renewal of a 5-year, 0.25-mill levy for services and facilities for senior citizens. It would generate an estimated $278,000 per year. Property owners would pay an estimated $5 per $100,000 of appraised value per year.

The largest senior services program is Meals on Wheels, which is seeing increasing demand, said Kelly Hatas, executive director of Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action.

“Unfortunately we are seeing food insecurity hit some of our seniors the hardest,” Hatas said. While food insecurity is rising among all demographics, it’s especially acute “with our senior populations who have potentially fixed incomes and aren’t able to manage the increased cost for food.”  

In March, when voters approved an additional levy for Meals on Wheels, the program was serving 110 people. It now serves “about 160 home-bound folks who aren’t able to access the food they need and need home delivered meals in Athens County,” said Hatas. 

The program again has a waiting list of about 60 people, Hatas said.

According to the county auditor’s 2023 comprehensive financial report, the senior citizens levy fund had a balance of $407,185 at the end of the year.

Athens County Children Services levy

Issue 22 is a renewal of a 10-year, 3-mill levy for Athens County Children Services. The current levy expires in 2025. If passed, the levy would generate an estimated $2.871 million per year, with property owners paying $60 per $100,000 of appraised value. 

The levy is needed to cover rising costs for placing children in care, according to a press release.

 “The lack of appropriate and available placements for children has led to a dramatic increase in costs associated with providing caring homes for children in recent years,” Executive Director Otis Cockron said in the release.

Cockron further noted that costs of care and placement of children was over $4.5 million in 2023 — an additional $1.77 million more than in 2015, when voters passed the previous levy.

“Unless more services become available and the crisis is abated, we will see the cost of placement continue to climb and we will require the support from our community to ensure that we are getting the care that is needed for our children,” said Matt Starkey, the agency’s 

public information officer and community events coordinator.

Voters approved a different 2.5-mill, 10-year levy for children services in 2019. 

According to the county auditor’s 2023 comprehensive financial report, the number of children in foster care has fluctuated annually over the past 10 years, from a low of 77 in 2014 to a high of 127 in 2023. The number of adoption cases and in-home client cases also has fluctuated but has not changed significantly. 

According to the report, Children Services ended 2023 with a $5.3 million fund balance.

Villages and townships

Albany

Voters in Albany will vote on two public services levies, both renewals of levies that will expire in 2025.

Issue 3 is a 5-year, 1-mill levy for fire protection services in Albany. It is estimated to generate $14,000 annually from $24 per $100,000 of appraised property value. 

Issue 4 is a 5-year, 1.5-mill levy for police protection services. The levy will generate an estimated $21,000 annually, beginning in 2025. Property owners would pay around $36 per $100,000 of appraised value.

Albany Mayor Tim Kirkendall did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Amesville

Issue 5 is a renewal of a 5-year, 6.9-mill levy for current expenses. The levy is estimated to collect around $13,000 annually. The cost to property owners is $186 per $100,000 of appraised value. 

Amesville Chief Fiscal Officer Tom McGuire did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Glouster

Issue 6 is a renewal of a 4-year, 3-mill levy for the Glouster Police Department. The levy is estimated to generate $35,000 annually, with property owners paying around $80 per $100,000 of appraised value.

The Independent did not receive any on-the-record comment from a village representative in time for publication.

Townships

Alexander Township, excluding Albany

Issue 7 is a replacement of a 1-mill, 5-year tax levy for Alexander Township fire services, excluding the village of Albany. The levy would generate an estimated $117,000 annually at a cost of $35 per $100,000 of appraised property value.

Alexander Trustee Brian C. Grubbs and Alexander Fiscal Officer Judy A. Ellis did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Ames Township, excluding Amesville

Issue 8 is a renewal of a 5-year, 1-mill levy for road maintenance. It is estimated to collect $21,00 annually, with property owners paying $22 per $100,000 of appraised value. 

Ames Fiscal Officer Anita Weed did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Athens Township, excluding city of Athens

Issue 9 is a renewal of a 5-year, 1.5-mill levy for road maintenance. The levy would generate $228,000 annually; property owners would pay $38 for each $100,000 of appraised value. 

Athens Trustees Brian Baker, Steven H. Pierson and Ted J. Linscott did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Athens Township (areas covered by The Plains Volunteer Fire Department)

Issue 10 is a renewal of a 2.5-mill levy for The Plains Volunteer Fire Department. The five-year levy is estimated to collect $126,000 annually. Property owners would pay $67 a year for each $100,000 of appraised value.

Athens Trustees Brian Baker, Steven H. Pierson and Ted J. Linscott did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Canaan Township, including Athens areas

Issue 11 is an additional 1-mill levy for fire services to replace a levy that expired in 2023. The levy would generate an estimated $85,000 annually for five years. Property owners would pay about $35 per $100,000 of appraised value.

“We are not asking for additional money, but just asking for the same level as we had previously,” said township trustee Randy G. Wolfe. 

The funds are split between the Ames/Bern Fire Department, which covers parts of the township north of the Hocking River, and the Richland Area Fire Department, which covers areas south of the river, Wolfe said.

“They both provide very good service to our township, and we wish to continue having them provide this service,” he said.

Dover Township, including Chauncey

Issue 12 is an additional 1-mill levy for fire department equipment. The levy would generate $61,000 annually for four years at an annual property owner cost of $35 for each $100,000 of appraised value.

Dover Township Trustee Stuart Neal said the township needs the funds to cope with current and increasing costs.

“The cost of fuel, the cost of electric, and maintaining the building and the equipment has gone up without an increase in levies for quite a few years,” Neal said. “We are barely making it through the year with what’s on our current levy. … I really need to ask the residents to step up and help us.”

If the levy passes, Neal said, the township also could replace older and damaged equipment and upgrade other equipment. Dover Township Trustee Christopher Russell did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. 

Trimble Township, excluding villages

Issue 13 is a replacement of a 5-year, 0.5-mill levy for fire protection to generate $13,000 annually and cost property owners about $12 per $100,000 of appraised property value. Trimble Trustee Paul Barrett did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. 

Waterloo Township

Issue 14 is a replacement of a 5-year, 1-mill levy for road maintenance. It would generate an estimated $51,000 annually and cost property owners about $35 per $100,000 of appraised property value.

Waterloo Trustee Gregg Andrews and Waterloo Fiscal Officer Kimberly K. Russell did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

York Township, including Nelsonville and Buchtel

Issue 15 is a renewal of a 5-year, 1 mill-levy for cemeteries operation and maintenance. The levy would generate an estimated $111,000 annually, with property owners paying about $25 per $100,000 of appraised property value. 

York Township Board of Trustees President Timothy R. Warren said the township maintains nine cemeteries in the township and Nelsonville. The board supports the passage of Issue 15.

“This is a renewal so no new monies will be realized by the township, only the amount that was voted in years ago when the levy originally was approved,” Warren said in an email. “Obviously, costs have risen during those many years, but the trustees feel strongly we should live within our means and not ask for additional monies at this time.”

York Township, excluding Nelsonville and Buchtel

Issue 16 is a renewal of a 5-year, 2-mill levy for road maintenance and improvement. The levy would generate around $117,000 annually, with property owners paying about $50 per $100,000 of appraised property value.

York Township Trustees Warren said York Township “maintains and does snow removal for approximately 34 miles of roadway all inside York Township,” varying from asphalt to gravel.

“Here again even though material prices and cost of employees have risen dramatically over the many years since this levy was originally voted in,” Warren said in an email. The Trustees only seek a renewal of this levy for 5 more years at the same amount of the original.”

City issues

Athens liquor option

Voters in Athens Ward 3, Precinct 1 via Issue 18 will decide upon a local liquor option. Union Street Market, a carryout store at 26 W. Union St., is seeking a permit for the Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages.

Nelsonville streets levy

Nelsonville voters will vote on two issues. 

Issue 2 is a renewal for general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing and repair of streets, roads and bridges. The 5-year, 2-mills tax is estimated to collect around $100,000 annually.

The levy is “the primary and largest revenue source for street repair and maintenance for our neighborhoods,” said city Auditor Taylor Sappington in an email. The city would face an “immediate reduction” and “cut to all repairs for our roads,” if the levy doesn’t pass, Sappington stated.

“The state refuses to return its local government funding to places like Nelsonville and that means there is nobody coming to save us,” Sappington said in the email. “We must fund our roads if we want to continue repairs and thankfully this renewal would do exactly that, while not increasing taxes by a single dollar.”

Interim City Manager Devon Tolliver did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Nelsonville charter abolition

Issue 23 seeks to abolish their city charter and return the city to a statutory government with an elected mayor. The issue was added to the ballot Sept. 24 following a protracted court battle between the city council and its former president, Greg Smith.

If the charter that voters approved in 1994 is abolished, the city’s government would change significantly:

Roles	Charter (current Nelsonville city government)	Statutory; defaults to Ohio Revised Code
Who oversees city operations, and how is the role filled?	City Manager, hired by city council	Mayor, elected by voters
Who oversees city safety and services, and how is the role filled?	City Manager, hired by council	City Safety and/or Service directors, appointed by mayor
How is the city council president determined?	President of council is appointed by council	President of council is elected
How is the city auditor determined?	City Auditor is elected	City Auditor is elected
How is the law director determined?	Law Director is hired by council	Law Director is elected
How is the mayor determined? Does the mayor have veto powers?	Mayor and Vice Mayor (ceremonial titles), appointed by council — no veto power over city legislation. Mayor serves as council president	Mayor elected by voters, has veto power over city legislation
How is legislation introduced?	Council introduces all legislation	Mayor may introduce legislation
How quickly may the council pass legislation?	Council passes ordinances on second reading	Council must have three readings

This is the second and only successful attempt in a decade at placing the issue before voters. In 2015, an initiative to abolish the charter failed to make it past city council because it lacked a transition plan. This year’s initiative included a translation plan calling for a city election in November 2025 with new officials taking office on Jan. 1, 2026. 

The post Over 20 issues make the Athens County ballot appeared first on Athens County Independent.

When Amanda Saint went to vote in the 2020 election, she didn’t anticipate having any problems. For years, the 36-year-old nurse had been living and voting just outside of Huntsville, Alabama. But when Saint presented her driver’s license to the poll worker, they said it didn’t match her voter registration records. 

The reason was simple: when Saint got married in 2011, she changed her name with the Social Security Administration. They listed her as “Amanda Lenore Saint,” using her middle name. But Saint’s driver’s license says her name is “Amanda Glasscock Saint,” using her maiden name. 

Such discrepancies are relatively common. According to research from the University of Maryland, roughly 12% of Americans have a non-expired driver’s license that doesn’t list both their current address and name. 

“So I go, ‘Yeah it’s my maiden name instead of my middle name, but I’m still the same person. You saw me at the primaries when I voted. I didn’t have a problem then,’” Saint said. 

But poll workers still required Saint to vote provisionally. To this day, Saint doesn’t know if her provisional ballot was accepted. 

“I felt extremely frustrated because I’m just trying to do my civic duty,” Saint said. “I do the state elections and the primaries because they are important, and to not be able to vote in the big one except with a provisional ballot which may or may not be accepted because of a technical error that I had never dealt with? I fumed about it for months afterward.” 

Most Appalachian states require voters to present some form of ID at the polls. Within the region, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have implemented new voter ID requirements since the 2020 election, according to USA Today. But all across Appalachia, photo ID requirements of all kinds — new and old, stricter and more lenient — are deeply intertwined with a complex web of legislation, lawsuits and logistical barriers. 

The combined effect? A voting process that gets more complicated by the day. 

‘Just a form of suppression’ 

Karen Pawloski has lived in southeastern Ohio for decades. But she didn’t begin working as deputy director of the Washington County Board of Elections until January 2020 — an experience she describes as “baptism by fire.” 

Since Pawloski’s tenure began, Ohio has made significant changes to its voter ID requirements. Previously, voters could bring non-photographic documents — such as bank statements or utility bills — to the polls to prove their identities. 

“We’re trying to do as much public relations as we can and educating the voters that they do have to bring in a picture ID now,” Pawloski said. “We’re using social media, and any time I interview with the local TV station here, we try to make sure that the voters know that…Voters that come and vote every election, they’re fine. But voters that only vote during presidential years, this is something new for them.”

Ohio now has some of the country’s most stringent photo ID requirements for voters. You can’t present a student ID from a public university at the polls. Or an out-of-state driver’s license. Or an expired driver’s license or passport. Since the state made these changes in 2023, more than 8,000 Ohioans have attempted to vote and had their ballots rejected because they didn’t present an acceptable ID. 

But what counts as an “acceptable ID” varies greatly across Appalachia. Tennessee, Ohio, and South Carolina don’t allow student IDs from public universities. North Carolina does, but unlike Georgia or Mississippi, it doesn’t allow driver’s licenses that have been expired for more than a year — unless you’re 65 and older and your ID was unexpired on your 65th birthday. 

And several Appalachian states don’t accept driver’s licenses from other states — including Tennessee. This requirement frequently confuses voters, according to Christie Campion, a former poll worker from Knoxville. Home to the state’s flagship university, the Appalachian city of just under 200,000 is full of college kids, including thousands of out-of-state students. 

Campion remembers having to give a provisional ballot to a college student who came to vote with a Maryland driver’s license. Although she recommended the student obtain a Tennessee driver’s license, she recognized that the process of making it to the DMV is burdensome in itself. 

“It’s a whole effort to go and get the ID, and then you go to try and get the ID, and they’re like ‘Oh you brought the wrong piece of paper. You have to come back later,’” Campion said. “I think being so restrictive on what counts as ID is just an attempt at suppression.” 

Research from the University of Maryland found that younger voters, Black voters and Latino voters are much less likely to have a driver’s license with their current name and address — or any driver’s license at all. And studies show there is virtually no fraud taking place that could be prevented through photo ID requirements, said University of Kentucky law professor Josh Douglas via email. 

“Overall, studies show that both​ sides embellish the debate a little,” said Douglas, who specializes in election law and advised on Kentucky’s voter ID legislation. “ID laws don't improve integrity, but the amount of disenfranchisement is typically somewhat small — ​though again, that depends on the specifics of the ID law and how strict they are.”

Kentucky’s photo ID requirements are relatively lenient, compared to other Appalachian states, but lawmakers recently tried making things more stringent. State senators passed a bill early this year that would’ve removed university-issued ID cards as a primary document for voter identification. The bill never made it out of House committees. 

University IDs are also under scrutiny in nearby North Carolina. There, the state Republican Party and the Republican National Committee sued the State Board of Elections, seeking to prevent the use of digital university IDs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A superior court judge initially denied their request, but just last Friday, a North Carolina appeals court blocked the use of the mobile UNC One Card. 

The North Carolina Republican Party and the RNC have also recently filed several other lawsuits, including one seeking to revoke the voter registrations of more than 225,000 North Carolinians. 

‘We want everybody to be as informed as they can’ 

North Carolina isn’t the only Appalachian state shaking things up at the last second. In late September, the Georgia State Election Board passed a controversial rule requiring all voting precincts to count ballots by hand on Election Day and ensure the tallies match machine counts. Back in Ohio, days after he suggested banning ballot drop boxes entirely, Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a new directive in early September, limiting their use. 

Now, if someone delivers an elderly or disabled voter’s ballot to a drop box, they have to physically enter the county board of elections office and sign a form. County board of elections officials have expressed concerns that this will create longer lines on Election Day. 

But amid a flurry of proposed and enacted changes, multiple organizations working on turnout in Appalachian Ohio aren’t sharing their personal opinions regarding voter ID. They’re too busy sharing information with voters. 

“I think our biggest concern when it went into effect was this education piece, ” said Adriane Mohlenkamp, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Athens County. “We were hoping to see some statewide wide-scale education efforts, and I know there's been some efforts around education, but it has not been maybe as robust as we would’ve hoped for.”

Lack of education is a big issue when it comes to voter ID. Fifty-five percent of people living in states with photo ID requirements either think they aren’t in place or don’t know if they are, according to research from the University of Maryland. Among voters aged 18 to 29, nearly 66 percent aren’t sure if photo ID is required — a particular concern in Athens County, home to more than 21,000 students attending Ohio University. 

Over the past several months, Mohlenkamp and the rest of her team have registered plenty of college students — and voters of all ages. They’ve written letters to the editor, posted on Facebook, done interviews with local newspapers and distributed non-partisan voter information cards at libraries. 

And on Ohio University’s campus, students are running their own initiatives to get their peers to the polls. In his capacity as the Student Senate’s Governmental Affairs Commissioner, sophomore Donald Theisen and his senators have spent hours passing out registration forms, preparing slideshows and participating in election-related events, including a recent debate watch party. Theisen wouldn't share his personal opinions on changes to Ohio election law. But he’s feeling pretty optimistic about Election Day. 

“My job is to represent everybody on the campus regardless of how they may feel — whether they may lean left or right, whether they support or disavow the most recent changes to the law,” Theisen said. “Our job is to get everybody engaged in the process, trying to get it so that everybody can be registered and vote as easily as possible. We want everybody to be as informed as they can, and I think that the turnout at OU is gonna be pretty good.” 

The post Across Appalachia, Photo ID Requirements Complicate Voting appeared first on 100 Days in Appalachia.

(RNS) — Vance’s remarks seemed aimed at quelling some of the controversy that sprang up after he and Donald Trump accused Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating townspeople’s pets.

The post Vance, at Christian nationalist revival, says immigration stance is in keeping with faith appeared first on RNS.