Ohio residents are currently lining up to vote early in-person on Issue 1 at the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus, Ohio. This special election revolves around a ballot measure that seeks to raise the threshold for voter approval of amendments to Ohio’s constitution. If passed, this measure would require 60% approval for future constitutional amendments, instead of the current simple majority requirement that has been in place since 1912. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican who proposed the measure, argues that it aims to prevent out-of-state special interests from influencing Ohio’s founding document. Opponents of the referendum believe that the timing is intended to hinder a constitutional amendment concerning reproductive rights that is scheduled for the November ballot. This issue arose following the implementation of Ohio’s six-week abortion ban and the subsequent case of a 10-year-old rape victim who had to travel to Indiana for an abortion. Advocacy groups mobilized to draft an amendment to guarantee abortion access in Ohio, leading to the gathering of signatures for a November ballot issue. Republican lawmakers, holding a supermajority, could not secure enough support to place their 60% voter approval idea on the state’s May primary ballot. Consequently, they devised a new plan for an August special election, even though most August special elections had been eliminated through a law passed in December. Notably, the last statewide special election held in August occurred in 1926. Despite opposition, including demonstrations at the Ohio State Capitol, Republican lawmakers proceeded and attached a provision to significantly increase the requirements for groups seeking to put amendments before voters. Under the new provision, groups would have to gather signatures from all 88 counties, instead of the current requirement of 44. This change would make it extremely difficult for grassroots organizations to get amendments on the ballot, which is already a rare occurrence. Of the 172 amendments made to Ohio’s constitution since 1912, only 19 have come from citizens or groups. The measure’s opponents filed a lawsuit, arguing that the resolution violated a law prohibiting most August special elections. However, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the legislators, stating that the law did not apply to putting a constitutional amendment before voters. The referendum has attracted national attention, with the coalition for Issue 1 primarily consisting of anti-abortion organizations, gun rights groups, and major business groups concerned about a forthcoming minimum wage amendment. On the other hand, the opposition includes union groups, supporters of abortion rights and gun law reform, and Ohio’s four living ex-governors and five former attorneys general from both parties. Despite the timing of the election during the August vacation season when turnout is typically low, Ohio residents have shown up for early voting, resulting in long lines in some counties. Both sides of the issue have launched an advertising blitz, with nearly all of the $22 million spent on campaigns coming from outside Ohio. Issue 1 is the only item on the ballot for this election.
Implications for Reproductive Rights in Ohio: Tuesday’s Vote on Issue 1 – NPR
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