Last month, Ohio joined a handful of other states allowing residents to load their Driver’s License or ID card onto an Apple iPhone. It’s a nifty little feature not unlike the phone’s tap-to-pay service, but while the virtual card is handy for getting through TSA checkpoints, in many other circ*mstances — like voting or a traffic stop — it just won’t cut it.
Where it does (and doesn’t) work
In a press release announcing the program, Gov. Mike DeWine bragged “Ohio has always been a leader in innovation, and now we are the fifth state in the country that gives residents the option to securely add their driver’s license to Apple Wallet.”
“This is another example of how Ohio is using technology to better serve its customers and residents,” he added.
The Apple wallet version of your ID may have all your information, but it’s not like a photocopy of the card. Instead, the phone shares your information digitally, which means whoever is reading that information will need a specific card reader.
In an emailed statement, DeWine’s spokesman Dan Tierney explained that’s part of the reason the TSA can move quickly to accept mobile ID while local law enforcement or boards of elections simply can’t.
“The reason that you are seeing TSA checkpoints announced before other transaction points is the sheer number of terminals involved,” he explained. “An airport will only need a dozen or so, while implementation with polling locations and law enforcement patrols will require the purchase of tens of thousands of terminals or other devices that contain the required hardware and software.”
In Ohio, TSA checkpoints at Columbus’ John Glenn International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are ready to accept mobile ID. So far four other states, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland, have joined the program. Major airports in Phoenix, Denver, Atlanta and Baltimore are equipped for mobile ID.
But for the time being, using your mobile ID for something as mundane as picking up a six pack will depend on whether the store you’re visiting has the required reader. To help facilitate that process, Ohio has launched an app that businesses can use to read mobile IDs.
“I expect that with any technology,” Tierney said, “we will see these tap terminals and reading devices become much less expensive over time, which would allow for wider implementation in much larger systems.”
Potential confusion?
In several places on the BMV website the agency warns a mobile ID does not replace your physical card. In a frequently asked questions menu, the BMV insists “you must continue to carry your physical card,” and describes the mobile ID as “a convenient, secure companion” to your traditional card.
On the other hand, “the fine print” is an expression because people so often don’t read it.
And that’s a bit concerning for Mia Lewis of Common Cause Ohio.
“So, I’m just envisioning people uploading it onto their phone and then saying great and leaving their ID at home and then going to vote and finding out that actually that isn’t good enough for voting,” she described.
She argued just a few years ago Ohioans could vote with a bank statement or a utility bill. Since then, the requirements have tightened substantially, restricting voter identification to an unexpired photo ID. In response, Ohio election officials have seen a sharp uptick in the number of provisional ballots.
“(Mobile ID) is good enough for the TSA, you can get on a flight, good enough for getting into a bar, but for some reason it’s not good enough for voting,” Lewis said. “But that hasn’t been clearly articulated to people, and I’m just envisioning more and more provisional ballots where people have gone to vote, and they haven’t been able to.”
The promotional materials from Apple are careful not to overstate its utility. The webpage says “presenting your ID just got much easier” because “there’s no need to reach for your your physical ID.” And while the company emphasizes the convenience of the feature, there’s no bald-faced ‘leave your card at home’ messaging.
Still, there’s no warning to keep your card handy.
“You know, it’s promoted as like so convenient,” Lewis said. “Well, if it doesn’t work in all instances, I don’t really see how that’s convenient, because you still have to carry your license for the times that it doesn’t work, and I feel like voting is such an important one.”
Nick Evans has spent the past seven years reporting for NPR member stations in Florida and Ohio. He got his start in Tallahassee, covering issues like redistricting, same sex marriage and medical marijuana. Since arriving in Columbus in 2018, he has covered everything from city council to football. His work on Ohio politics and local policing have been featured numerous times on NPR. Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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