DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Poverty and labor groups scored a partial victory with a federal court settlement that clarifies and expands Ohio's new voter identification standards for Election Day.

It also suspends ID requirements altogether for absentee ballots.

The consent decree signed late Wednesday in U.S. District Court clears up confusion in key areas and lets more citizens vote, said Cleveland attorney Subodh Chandra, one of the lawyers who challenged the state's new voter ID law.

The settlement, which applies only to the Nov. 7 election, expands the number of provisional ballots that will be counted and widens some of the law's definitions. It lets voters who don't have identification use their Social Security number at the polls, a scenario omitted from the law.

ID proof expanded

Under the settlement, the definition of government documents that can be used as proof of ID at the polls is expanded to include those from local and county governments, as well as state universities and public community colleges.

The compromise was reached after almost 13 hours of negotiations.

Highlights of voter ID settlement

• Voter ID requirements suspended for all absentee voters. Any absentee ballot cast by Monday will be counted.
• Voter ID requirements in place for Election Day on Tuesday, with some modifications.
• Voters with a Social Security number and no ID can use it at the polls to cast a provisional ballot.
• Military IDs that lack addresses but bear Social Security numbers will be accepted.
• For utility bills, bank statements, government checks, paychecks, or other government documents acceptable at the polls, "current" is defined as up to one year old, rather than six months.

• For proof of ID at the polls, "other government document" is defined as any document with a current address and issued by an appropriate government entity, including city, municipal, county, township and village governments; all branches and political subdivisions of state government including public colleges or universities and public community colleges; and all branches of the U.S. government.