Ohioans vote Tuesday on a measure that would make it harder to pass future changes to the state constitution. Ideastream’s Karen Kasler explains the possible implications for abortion access in Ohio.
Sources:
NPR: A look ahead at the Ohio special election
Five Thirty Eight: Everything You Need To Know About The Ohio Ballot Measure That Could Block Abortion Rights
CNN: Ohio special election becomes proxy for abortion rights fight
PBS News Hour: Ohio voters to decide on constitutional change before determining abortion rights
The Guardian: Republicans pushed a special election in Ohio – what does it mean for abortion rights?
AP: Voters in Ohio reject GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights
NY Times: Ohio Voters Reject Constitutional Change Intended to Thwart Abortion Amendment
If there is interest we can add the Mississippi, Missouri, and Michigan election news here as well. They are state and local primary elections but I’ve not seen much interest by the community.
Edit: Looks like there isn’t.
This measure is so blatantly anti-democratic that I can barely understand how anyone could justify it. I get text messages from right-leaning groups though and these are the kinds of things they’re using to push this initiative:
“Radicals are targeting Ohio children. Leftist amendments to the Ohio constitution will allow children to undergo dangerous sex changes without parental consent, and allow men to dominate women’s sports. Protect your parental rights. Protect your children.“
It’s so ridiculously stupid and over-the-top, do Republicans actually believe this trash? It’s obviously about abortion, I’m surprised they don’t come out and just say it.
I voted ‘No’ on the measure, however, Brexit, of all things, did make me think about this a little more. I think Brexit was a universally stupid move for Britain and I can’t imagine something so incredibly important was left up to a slim ~51-49 vote result, when it should’ve been something more like 60-40, which could’ve prevented Brexit altogether.
Yet I’m doing the exact opposite in voting against Issue 1, which I should be in support of, since it would make it harder for potentially catastrophic initiatives from getting passed. I guess it’s painfully obvious what Republicans are trying to do here AND they’re sneaking it in during a low voter turnout special election, it’s literally the only thing on the ballot in my area. I’m contradicting myself because I don’t trust the motives of the people pushing it.
Republicans count on people’s prejudice and watching propaganda so they don’t know it is about abortion choice. They want to say woke agenda to get them to vote against their interests.
Woke people are women, minorities, LGBTQ, and non Christians. They are against us.
I thought there were laws against false advertising in the US? How can these PACs and campaigns say shit like “children will be able to get dangerous sex change operations without parental consent”?? It is so far from reality and yet it’s in every piece of conservative rhetoric at every level of politics. There’s always been “spin,” but it used to be that they’d go out of their way to pick their words very carefully, ie. dog whistle racism.
So there’s laws against lying in commercials about fast food but none that control influencing elections with misinformation? How is this kind of blatant lying even legal?
They’re not technically wrong even if they are grossly misleading. Of course there isn’t anything like that on the November ballot. One day there could be. At least that’s what they want to scare people into believing. The reality is far from their narrative as usual. That doesn’t mean we don’t have a problem with outside money interfering with the political process here in Ohio. Sure, it happens more in the government (see the large recent bribery scandal). It also happens to our ballot initiatives. People collecting signatures for the two upcoming amendments aren’t necessarily volunteers and aren’t even always Ohioans. I found that out first hand when I asked the ones trying to get my signature. I still signed but it opened my eyes.
This measure is so blatantly anti-democratic that I can barely understand how anyone could justify it.
This very thing inspired me, a person who currently works nights, to screw up my sleep schedule to vote against it.
The 60% threshold isn’t inherently bad, and I agree that an argument could be made for requiring at least 55% approval in order for a ballot initiative to pass. Here are my problems with the Ohio situation:
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Issue 1 would make it harder to put initiatives on the ballot, period. The big hurdle is requiring a relatively large number of signatures from EVERY county in the state. This means that a single ruby-red county could single-handedly keep an issue off of the ballot
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Ohio is so gerrymandered that ballot initiatives are about the only voice available to the population. The GOP has supermajorities in the state Senate and House, even though they only have about a 4% advantage in registered voters.
It’s absolutely critical to defeat Issue 1.
Ohio is so gerrymandered that ballot initiatives are about the only voice available to the population. The GOP has supermajorities in the state Senate and House, even though they only have about a 4% advantage in registered voters.
Even more to the gerrymandering, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the CURRENT gerrymandered districting is unconstitutional. GOP lead house and senate in the state simply ignored it and keeps the gerrymandering which keeps them in control of the state legislature.
Ohioians few remaining ways to make their voices heard is by referendum, which is what the GOP is trying to take away here from Ohio voters.
Ohio should do two more constitutional amendments by ballot initiative.
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Require voting districts to be approved by popular vote. Elected representatives should not have that much control over who can vote for or against them
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Require any future change to the requirements for passing a ballot initiative meet the same standards it proposes in order to pass.
Good analysis as usual from 538: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ohio-issue-1-abortion-ballot-measures/
For those who haven’t seen coverage yet, in brief: as usual republicans saw a defeat coming in a democratic election (the 50%+1 threshold November ballot initiative to enshrine reproductive rights into Ohio’s constitution), so they are attempting to change the rules in their favor (require constitutional amendments to get 60% of the vote, effectively allowing minority rule) in an early off-season ballot measure today.
Despite the early positive indications that this measure has an uphill battle, if you are in Ohio please vote.
Is this the same referendum format requiring half the votes +1 to pass? The exact thing they’re trying to kill off?
EDIT: The measure should have to be supported by the same vote threshold to pass that it seeks to impose.
The irony is even dumber since they already passed HB 458 which forbids such an election in August.
They broke their own rule, a rule that they themselves pushed through.
Don’t ever pretend that the GOP cares about rules or laws. They will literally do whatever they must to remain in power.
Thank you for this. I live in Ohio and did not know this law existed. I have not heard it brought up in any discussion or news coverage (although I admit my decision was made early and have not spent much time listening to the ‘debates’). Did LaRose and company offer any reason as to why they think HB 458 does not apply in this case?
[“As a course of action, normal course of doing business, yes, I do not believe in having elections in August as a normal way of holding elections,” he explained.
“But if the state legislature decides to hold an election in August, it’s not unusual,” said LaRose.] (https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1192550481/ohio-issue-1-ballot-special-election-abortion-constitutional-amendment)
Sort of the ironic soft underbelly of small-d democratic institutions. You overthrow them by winning power democratically and keeping it by force, whereas if someone wants to take it back for democracy they have to then take it by force and keep it democratically, the harder proposition.
(Obviously in this instance “by force” is just making it difficult to change things, but it’s the same idea)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/election-results/2023/ohio-issue-1/
Votes received and percentages of total vote
Response Votes Pct.
Yes 111,710 28.4 %
No 281,694 71.6 %
An estimated 12.6 percent of votes have been counted.
As of 7:50 PM right now.
Edit 1: 7:53 PM
Yes 138,143 29.4 %
No 331,325 70.6 %
Edit 2: 7:55 PM
Yes 158,861 29.1 %
No 387,174 70.9 %
17.5% counted.
Edit 3: 8:04 PM
Yes 193,220 29.7 %
No 457,553 70.3 %
20.8% counted.
Edit 4: 8:19 PM
Yes 232,355 30.9 %
No 519,368 69.1 %
24.1% counted. Yeah I don’t see it passing.
Edit 5: 8:25 PM
Wasserman and Decision Desk already called it for No. Will see how big of a margin now, but it is clear the proposition failed.
Edit 6: 8:48 PM
Yes 376,012 37.1 %
No 638,696 62.9 %
32.5% counted.
Edit 7: 8:56 PM
Washington Post projects No winning.
Yes 429,617 38.1 %
No 697,980 61.9 %
36.9% counted.
Edit 8: 9:15 PM
Yes 603,050 40.7 %
No 878,360 59.3 %
47.4% counted. Keep in mind a lot of the urban/city areas haven’t even counted most of their votes yet where the more rural areas have.
Edit 9: 9:22 PM
Yes 744,053 42.5 %
No 1,006,127 57.5 %
56% counted.
Edit 10: 9:30 PM
Yes 809,110 42.8 %
No 1,082,764 57.2 %
60.5 % counted. Urban areas still undercounted.
Edit 11: 10:06 PM
Yes 1,100,677 43.2 %
No 1,448,086 56.8 %
81.5% counted.
Edit 12: 10:36 PM
Yes 1,217,867 43.4 %
No 1,585,920 56.6 %
89.7% counted. Cuyahoga and Lucas counties seem to be the ones having a decent chunk to count still. Both heavily leaning No.
Edit 14: 8:33 AM
Yes 1,315,346 43.0 %
No 1,744,094 57.0 %
97.9% counted. Looking like a slam dunk and massive support for No. Winner winner chicken dinner.
