Ohio Voters Reject Proposal to Make Amending State Constitution More Difficult
In a closely watched special election on Tuesday, Ohio voters rejected a proposal known as Issue 1 that would have made it more difficult to amend the state constitution. The proposed constitutional amendment, which failed to garner majority support, would have raised the approval threshold from a simple majority to 60 percent.
The outcome of the election is seen as a victory for pro-abortion rights supporters, as it could pave the way for the approval of another proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that seeks to protect abortion rights. A July poll found that 58 percent of Ohio voters support enshrining abortion access in the state’s founding document.
Issue 1 was the only matter on the ballot in Tuesday’s special election, but it sparked a flood of interest due to its potential impact on the abortion rights ballot measure. Republican lawmakers in Ohio pushed for the higher approval threshold in response to the pro-abortion rights position winning in all six states where it was directly put to voters in the 2022 midterm cycle.
Supporters of the 60-percent majority threshold argued that it was necessary to protect the Ohio Constitution from out-of-state interests trying to influence the state’s laws. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a supporter of Issue 1, linked the amendment to the abortion rights measure, stating that it was about preventing a “radical, pro-abortion amendment” from being added to the constitution.
The rejection of Issue 1 means that the current lower bar for amending the state constitution, which has been in place since 1912, will remain. The battle over abortion rights in Ohio continues, with legal proceedings ongoing regarding a ban on abortions after embryonic cardiac activity is detected. The proposed constitutional amendment set for the November ballot aims to protect individuals’ right to make their own reproductive decisions, including on contraception and abortion, while allowing the state to prohibit abortion after fetal viability.
Ohio’s special election saw a high turnout, with nearly 700,000 early votes cast, surpassing the amount of early votes in the May 2022 primary election. While Ohio is the only state this year where voters weighed changes to the rules governing constitutional amendments and where the issue of abortion rights will directly appear on the ballot, similar efforts have been made in other states, albeit unsuccessfully.
The November election will be crucial in determining the future of abortion rights in Ohio, as voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in the state’s constitution. The defeat of Issue 1 has set the stage for a contentious battle, with both sides mobilizing to rally support and shape the outcome.