Ohio voters decisively rejected Issue 1, a closely watched proposal aimed at making it more difficult to amend the state constitution. This victory for pro-abortion rights supporters comes just ahead of a November vote on enshrining reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution.
According to the Associated Press, the proposed constitutional amendment fell short of the majority support it needed to pass. With nearly half of precincts reporting, the measure was failing with a margin of 57% to 42% two hours after polls closed.
Issue 1 sought to raise the threshold for approving future changes to the state constitution through the ballot box from a simple majority to 60%. However, Ohioans rejected this proposal, asserting that democracy should remain in the hands of voters rather than the “rich and powerful,” as Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio expressed on social media.
This outcome maintains the existing lower bar that has been in place since 1912 and could pave the way for the approval of the proposed constitutional amendment in November, which aims to protect abortion rights. A recent poll conducted by the USA Today Network and Suffolk University found that 58% of Ohio voters support enshrining abortion access in the state’s founding document.
Notably, Issue 1 was the only matter on the ballot for the special election. However, it garnered significant attention due to its potential impact on the abortion rights ballot measure. Almost 700,000 Ohioans participated in early voting, surpassing the number of early votes cast in the May 2022 primary election.
President Biden applauded Ohio voters for rejecting “an effort by Republican lawmakers and special interests to change the state’s constitutional amendment process.” He emphasized that this measure was an attempt to weaken voters’ voices and infringe on women’s freedom to make healthcare decisions.
The push to raise the bar for approving proposed amendments began when pro-abortion rights positions won in all six states where the issue was directly put to voters in the 2022 midterm cycle. As Ohio Republican lawmakers introduced a joint resolution to set the special election, reproductive rights advocates were simultaneously collecting the signatures needed to place the abortion access measure on the fall general election ballot.
The contentious nature of the issue became evident when Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a staunch supporter of Issue 1 and a Republican running for the U.S. Senate, linked the amendment to the upcoming abortion rights ballot measure. He connected the issue to blocking a “radical, pro-abortion amendment” from being enshrined in the state constitution.
It is important to note that Ohio already has a ban on abortions after embryonic cardiac activity is detected, which typically occurs around six weeks into pregnancy. However, a state court has blocked this law, and legal proceedings are ongoing. The proposed constitutional amendment that qualified for the November ballot aims to safeguard individuals’ reproductive decisions, including choices regarding contraception and abortion. It would prohibit the state from interfering with the “voluntary exercise of this right” and allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability.
Issue 1 not only intended to raise the threshold for passing state constitutional amendments but also sought to elevate the standard for placing a citizen-initiated amendment on the ballot. The proposed amendment required a petition to be signed by at least 5% of the electors in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, based on the total number of votes cast in the last governor’s race.
While Ohio is the only state where voters addressed changes to the rules governing proposed constitutional amendments and where the issue of abortion rights will directly appear on the ballot this year, other states have attempted similar efforts, albeit without success.
In summary, the rejection of Issue 1 by Ohio voters is a significant victory for pro-abortion rights supporters. This outcome maintains the current lower threshold for approving state constitutional amendments and sets the stage for the potential approval of a constitutional amendment on abortion rights in November.
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