Ohio voters decisively rejected a Republican-sponsored measure on Tuesday that would have made it harder to amend the state’s constitution. This sets the stage for a major campaign this fall, which will serve as the latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nationwide protections last year. The defeat of Issue 1 means that future constitutional amendments will continue to require a simple majority for passage, rather than the proposed 60% supermajority. Supporters of the measure argued that the higher threshold would safeguard the state’s constitution from outside interest groups.
The rejection of Issue 1 was widespread among voters, including those in traditionally Republican areas. Early results showed that support for the measure fell drastically short of former President Donald Trump’s performance in the 2020 election in nearly every county. Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the opposition campaign One Person One Vote, referred to Issue 1 as a “deceptive power grab” intended to diminish the influence of Ohio’s voters. He called the outcome a victory for democracy in Ohio.
President Joe Biden praised the result, stating that the measure was an attempt to undermine voters’ voices and restrict women’s healthcare choices. A national anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, lamented the outcome as a sad day for Ohio. Both sides of the campaign received assistance from national groups and individuals.
Republican lawmakers, who were behind the measure and scheduled the vote during the summer vacation season, attributed the defeat to insufficient time to educate voters about its benefits. Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, a main supporter of the measure, expressed disappointment that Republicans did not unite to push it through. He predicted that lawmakers would attempt another measure, although not in the immediate future. Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens urged supporters to move past Tuesday’s results and focus on defeating the abortion rights measure in November.
While abortion was not directly on the special election ballot, this defeat represents another setback for Ohio Republicans, who have pushed for strict abortion restrictions in the predominantly conservative state. Ohio Republicans proposed the measure in order to counter a citizen initiative scheduled for the November ballot that seeks to uphold abortion rights in the state. Other states that have voted on abortion rights since the Supreme Court ruling last year have maintained protections, even in conservative states like Kansas and Kentucky. One of the leaders of the coalition supporting the fall abortion question believes that the defeat of Issue 1 increases the chances of the measure passing in November.
Interest in the special election was high, despite Republican lawmakers ignoring their own law to place the question on the August ballot. Early in-person and mail ballots reached almost 700,000, more than double the number for a typical primary election. Democratic-leaning counties surrounding major cities experienced particularly high turnout.
One Person One Vote, an opposition campaign that brought together various groups, hailed the outcome as a major victory for democracy. The group had the support of four former governors of Ohio and five former state attorneys general from both parties, who criticized the proposed change as poor public policy. Ohioans for Reproductive Rights, the group advocating for the abortion rights amendment in November, will have an easier time passing their measure now that the simple majority standard remains in place.
Ohio voters have delivered a rare rebuke to the state’s Republican party, which has held power across all branches of government for the past 12 years. GOP lawmakers cited future amendments related to issues such as gun control and minimum wage increases as reasons for requiring a higher threshold. Protect Ohio Women, the campaign opposing the fall abortion rights amendment, has pledged to continue fighting in the coming months.