Do you have what it takes to vote?

Do you know what stands between you and the ballot box?

You won't know the answer to that for sure until you check your voter registration. If there’s a problem, the path to a resolution can be harder than you think.

Take the case of Kathleen Reynolds. Kathleen was born in Toledo OH in 1947. As an adult, she lived for several decades in Florida, then in California for three years, and finally returned to Ohio in June 2025. She took up permanent residence with her brother in his condo in Grandview Heights.

Having voted in every election of her adult life, voter registration was a priority for Kathleen. She went to her computer and found information at the Ohio Secretary of State website. As she didn’t intend to drive, she decided to get a Non-Driver ID. That’s when she hit the first barrier: registration online was not possible without already having an Ohio driver’s license.

About this time, Kathleen attended a meeting of residents at her condo and met Pam Conrad. A long-standing member of the League of Women Voters, as well as a resident of the same condo complex, Pam was there to provide information about voter registration. Kathleen asked Pam if she could help her. Pam was happy to help.

First, the two combed through a myriad of details on the website, finding exceptions and conditions that became confusing, even daunting. They concluded that Kathleen had three qualifying documents that would enable her to get her Ohio ID:

• Her birth certificate
• Her Social Security card
• A bank statement with her new address

The first pothole she hit was small. Although Kathleen does her banking online, she doesn’t have a printer. She immediately went to her bank to obtain a paper copy of the most recent statement.

Thus began a series of eight trips—four to Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) offices and four elsewhere to procure what the BMV wanted. (There are about a dozen licensing offices in Franklin County.)

First trip:
They found a large crowd at the Kenny Road office, with no staff at the check-in station. When Kathleen had trouble accessing check-in with the QR code and then learned there was a two-hour wait, they decided to come back another time.

Second trip:
At the second trip to the Kenny Road office, they found a smaller crowd and a short wait time. But when the check-in clerk surveyed the documents Kathleen had brought, she said there was a problem. The name on the bank statement didn’t match the others. That document still included a former married name, which she hadn’t used for more than 30 years.

Third trip:
Kathleen went back to her bank and had them change the name on her account to match what was on her birth certificate, the name she had been using for more than 30 years. The bank officer did that speedily and printed out her new statement.

Fourth trip:
Pam took Kathleen to a more convenient BMV location. The wait time was short, but the clerk pointed out two more problems. Kathleen needed TWO documents with her new address, AND the bank statement had to be signed by a bank official. What would qualify as a second document? The title and all utilities associated with the condo were in Kathleen’s brother’s name. Kathleen asked if a statement from the condo manager attesting to her residency would satisfy this requirement. YES, the clerk said. Are these the only remaining problems? YES, the clerk said.

Fifth trip:
Kathleen returned to the bank for an officer’s signature on the statement and had it notarized.

Sixth trip:
Just to be safe, Kathleen took a notary with her to the condo manager’s office, though this hadn’t been specified. She obtained a notarized statement affirming her residence.

Seventh trip:
Back to the BMV. This time, a different clerk told Kathleen that the statement from the condo manager was NOT sufficient. She needed to show a lease or title or a mortgage in her name. Kathleen explained that the condo is not an apartment, so there is no lease, and there is no mortgage. The title is in her brother’s name, as are the utilities.

What else can I do? Kathleen wanted to know. The clerk asked Kathleen if she wanted to have a “Real ID”, the kind that allows her to travel by air. Yes. The clerk then presented two options:
Kathleen had sufficient documents for a “regular” ID, but not enough for a “Real” ID.
However, if she were to apply for a regular driver’s license, instead of a regular non-driver’s ID, the process would be “easier.” Did she have a driver’s license from elsewhere? Kathleen dove into her purse and came up with her old Florida license. Yes!

Kathleen’s concern about her eyesight had been one reason she had opted for a non-driver ID instead of a driver’s license. But she took the eye test and passed—on the third try. The clerk handed Kathleen her temporary Ohio driver’s license and told her when she got her permanent driver’s license in the mail (the non-Real ID type), she should just bring it back to a BMV office, along with the documentation she already had, and they would issue a Real ID driver’s license. Her new non-Real driver’s license would qualify as one of the two required proofs of address to get the Real version.

Eighth trip:
When Kathleen received the permanent non-Real ID driver’s license, about two weeks after she started the process, she took it back to the BMV, along with the three other acceptable documents. Finally, she received her REAL OHIO DRIVER’S LICENSE and could register to vote. Relieved, she proudly voted in the November 2025 election.

What advice would Kathleen give to others who encounter hurdles? “Call Pam!” she chuckled. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own.”

The League of WomenVoters can help, but there are other resources as well. VoteRiders is a nationwide, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to provide free, direct help to persons like Kathleen to address any barriers to voting.¹

Kathleen’s experience was not unique. With changing voting rules, ongoing purging of voter rolls, disparity among BMV offices in terms of rule interpretation, and a plethora of individual circumstances, one may need assistance. And, one should be prepared to be patient and persistent.

What if Kathleen hadn’t been able to find her birth certificate?

What if she hadn’t been able to produce her old Florida driver’s license?

What if she hadn’t been able to pass the vision test for the Ohio Driver’s License? (Ohio does not require vision in order to vote.)

What if her documents had been destroyed by a flood in Florida or a fire in California?

ANYONE can run into a barrier. Make sure YOUR vote is secure.

Note: Fees are associated with some of these BMV steps.