Malcolm Rivera
Ohio Issue 1, also known as the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on August 8, 2023. The ballot measure sought to amend several sections of the Ohio Constitution, including Article II and Article XVI. It aimed to increase the vote requirement for approving constitutional amendments from a simple majority (50% +1) to 60%. This change would apply to both citizen-initiated amendments and those from the General Assembly. Additionally, Issue 1 proposed to modify the signature requirements for initiated constitutional amendment campaigns, seeking signatures from all 88 counties in Ohio. The outcome of this vote has significant implications for abortion rights, with supporters and opponents expressing strong views on the matter.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | August 8, 2023 |
| Type | Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
| Purpose | 60% vote requirement to approve constitutional amendments |
| Sections Amended | Article II Sections 1b, 1e, and 1g; Article XVI Sections 1 and 3 |
| Signature Requirements | All 88 counties in Ohio |
| Signature Percentage | 5% of the total vote cast for the governor's office in each county at the last gubernatorial election |
| Eliminate Cure Period | Yes |
| Impact on Abortion Rights | Block abortion measure, according to Secretary of State LaRose |
| Political Affiliation | Supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats |
| Result | Defeated |
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What You'll Learn
Ohio Issue 1's defeat
Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on August 8, 2023. The amendment would have required a 60% vote for voters to approve a constitutional amendment, whether citizen-initiated or from the General Assembly. It would also have required campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from the current requirement of 50% (44).
Ohio Issue 1 was defeated, with 54.78% of voters against it and 46.22% in favor. The defeat brought praise from conservatives, with the Ohio Right to Life group calling it a "potential power grab by liberal elites". The Ohio Chamber of Commerce also expressed their pleasure with the outcome, stating that the constitutional amendment would have created larger problems, like raising the cost of doing business in the state.
Supporters of Ohio Issue 1, including the group Citizens Not Politicians, expressed their disappointment with the result, blaming the confusing ballot language for the defeat. The ballot language was the subject of a lawsuit by backers of Issue 1, who claimed that it was deliberately deceptive and aimed at turning voters against the ballot issue. The lawsuit was rejected by the Republican majority on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Following the defeat of Ohio Issue 1, Governor DeWine plans to move forward with discussions to get the legislature onboard with a new plan, and is optimistic about support for a General Assembly-developed initiative.
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60% vote requirement
Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on August 8, 2023. The amendment would have required a 60% vote for voters to approve a constitutional amendment, whether citizen-initiated or from the General Assembly. This is a change from the current requirement of a simple majority vote (50% plus one).
The amendment also sought to increase the number of counties from which signatures must be collected for campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments. This number would have been raised from the current requirement of 50% (44) of the state's 88 counties to 100%. This would have made it more difficult to qualify proposed constitutional amendments for the ballot.
The 60% vote requirement was defeated, with opponents arguing that it was a blatant attempt by Republican lawmakers and special interests to weaken voters' voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own healthcare decisions. Supporters of the amendment, including Republican legislators and statewide officials, cited out-of-state special interests as a reason for the amendment. They argued that it was necessary to block a "radical pro-abortion amendment" from being included in the state's constitution.
The defeat of the 60% vote requirement has implications for other potential constitutional amendments in Ohio, including efforts to increase the minimum wage, legalize recreational marijuana, and reform the state's redistricting system.
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Abortion rights
On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters approved Issue 1, the Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative, as a constitutional amendment. The ballot measure was designed to protect a woman's right to make decisions about her own body and safeguard reproductive rights. This came after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had put reproductive freedom at risk. The amendment was supported by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, who celebrated the victory for democracy and the rejection of attempts to impose extreme abortion bans.
The approval of Issue 1 in Ohio highlights the broad support for abortion care and reproductive rights among voters in the state. It also demonstrates the efforts of anti-abortion politicians to deceive voters and prevent them from having a voice on this issue. Groups like Pro-Choice Ohio and the American Civil Liberties Union have played a crucial role in mobilizing voters and ensuring that the will of the people to protect their constitutional right to abortion is respected.
The passage of Issue 1 in Ohio is part of a larger trend across the nation, where voters have consistently chosen to defend reproductive freedom whenever it has appeared on the ballot. This includes states like Kansas, California, Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, and Vermont. Despite the efforts of anti-abortion groups and the Catholic Church in Ohio, who mourned the loss of "the dignity of human life," the approval of Issue 1 sends a strong message about the importance of protecting women's health and their right to make their own healthcare decisions.
The battle over abortion rights in Ohio has been intense, with Republican lawmakers and special interests attempting to change the state's constitutional amendment process to make it more difficult to protect abortion rights. Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot on August 8, 2023, and was defeated. This measure was seen as an attempt to erode the freedom of women to make their own healthcare decisions and limit the power of voters. The rejection of this measure was a victory for democracy and ensured that the people's power isn't diminished in forthcoming elections, including those that impact women's healthcare decisions.
Overall, the approval of Issue 1 in Ohio on reproductive rights and the defeat of the 60% vote requirement amendment represent significant steps forward in protecting abortion rights and ensuring that voters have a direct say in these critical matters. These outcomes demonstrate the power of voter mobilization and the resilience of democracy in the face of attempts to restrict freedoms and erode the power of citizens.
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Future constitutional amendments
Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on August 8, 2023. The amendment would have required a 60% vote for voters to approve a constitutional amendment, whether citizen-initiated or from the General Assembly. It would have also required campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of Ohio's 88 counties.
Ohio Issue 1 was defeated in the vote. However, Senate President Matt Huffman, who was the co-chair of the campaign Protect Our Constitution, stated that legislators could attempt to pass a similar amendment in the future.
The Ohio Constitution is a document that has responded to the social, economic, and political forces that have influenced the law over time. It contains provisions unique to the state, as well as provisions that protect individual rights and organize state and local governments. The modern Ohio Supreme Court has rarely relied on these provisions to extend rights beyond those in the US Constitution. However, in 1993, in Arnold v. City of Cleveland, the court recognized that the Ohio Constitution is a document of independent force. This set the stage for future decisions that could provide more protection for individual rights.
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Citizen-initiated amendments
In the United States, a ballot measure can be placed on the ballot through one of three means: citizen initiative, legislative referral, or automatically in some states. Citizen-initiated amendments allow citizens to propose a constitutional or statutory amendment or a veto referendum for inclusion on a ballot. This can be achieved through direct or indirect means, both of which require citizens to collect a specified number of signatures prior to being placed on the ballot.
A direct initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that can be placed on a ballot for voters. Direct initiatives can be placed on the ballot as a state statute, constitutional amendment, or veto referendum. Placing a measure on the ballot through direct initiative involves the following steps: preliminary filing—an individual files a proposed ballot measure to appear on the ballot with their designated state official.
An indirect initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that can also be placed before voters. Indirectly initiated ballot measures follow a slightly different process than direct initiatives. Indirectly initiated statutory and constitutional amendments require citizens' signatures and approval from the state legislature. Once the minimum number of signatures is received, the state legislature may approve the statute without placing it on the ballot. If the statute goes on the ballot, a majority vote is needed to pass it.
There are 18 states that allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments. Proponents of a ballot initiative collects petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state. These measures are direct in 16 states and indirect in two states, Massachusetts and Mississippi. While a direct initiative goes to voters, an indirect initiative goes to the state legislature, which can take various actions on the proposal before voters.
Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on August 8, 2023. Issue 1 was defeated. The ballot measure would have amended Sections 1b, 1e, and 1g of Article II and Sections 1 and 3 of Article XVI of the Ohio Constitution. The amendment would have required a 60% vote for voters to approve a constitutional amendment, whether citizen-initiated or from the General Assembly. As of August 2023, a constitutional amendment required a simple majority vote (50% plus one) to be approved in Ohio.
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Frequently asked questions
Ohio Issue 1, the 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, was on the ballot in Ohio on August 8, 2023, as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.
The ballot measure was defeated.
Issue 1 would have required a 60% vote for voters to approve a constitutional amendment, whether citizen-initiated or from the General Assembly. It would also have required campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties.
Yes, Ohio Issue 1, the Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative, was on the ballot in Ohio as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 7, 2023. The ballot measure was approved.
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