Ohio voters crush Republican attempt to subvert the popular will

[Scooter]

Ohio voters reject Issue 1, scoring win for abortion-rights supporters ahead of November

Issue 1 was projected to fail on Tuesday, dealing a blow to Ohio Republicans who wanted to hamstring a November ballot question on abortion rights.

Decision Desk HQ, an election results reporting agency providing results and race calls for the USA TODAY Network Ohio, called the race around 8:09 p.m. The Associated Press projected that Issue 1 had failed around 9 p.m.

The no vote was leading 57% to 43% with about 60% of the vote counted, according to unofficial results.

Tuesday’s election was the culmination of a months-long fight that began last year, when Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, first introduced a plan to tighten the rules for constitutional amendments. The debate played out in the halls of the Ohio Statehouse, on the campaign trail and even in the courtroom as opponents tried to stop GOP lawmakers in their tracks.

Proponents of the measure said they wanted to keep controversial policies out of the constitution and reserve it for the state's fundamental rights and values. Critics argued the ballot measure was a power grab that would hamstring the rights of citizens to place an issue on the ballot.

Ohioans appeared to buy the message opponents were selling.

"Tonight, Ohioans claimed a victory over out-of-touch, corrupt politicians who bet against majority rule, who bet against democracy," Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters told reporters at an election night gathering in Columbus. "Tonight, Ohioans everywhere have claimed a victory for the kind of state we want to see."

Issue 1, if passed, would have required a 60% of the vote to enact new constitutional amendments instead of a simple majority. It also would have:

• Required citizens who want to place an amendment on the ballot to collect signatures from at least 5% of voters from the last gubernatorial election in all 88 counties, instead of the current 44.
• Eliminated a 10-day cure period that allows citizens to replace any signatures deemed faulty by the secretary of state's office.

The GOP-controlled Legislature set the Aug. 8 election after months of infighting over the best path forward. LaRose and Stewart initially wanted to put the question before voters in May, but the conversation shifted to August despite a new election law that restricts most August special elections.

Republicans made it clear that they wanted to hold the election before November, when Ohioans will decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in the constitution. That turned Tuesday’s election into a nationally watched proxy war over the abortion debate, as Ohio is the only state voting on the issue in 2023.

"Now, Ohioans will turn their focus to rejecting extremism and government control to ensure families have the freedom to make decisions that are best for them," said Rhiannon Carnes, spokeswoman for Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights. "Ohioans believe that abortion is a personal, private decision that should be up to them and their families without government meddling in their business."

Even with such high stakes, convincing Ohioans to pay attention to a convoluted political issue in the summer cost both sides millions of dollars.

The One Person One Vote coalition opposing Issue 1 spent roughly $12.4 million on TV, cable and radio advertising, according to ad-tracking firm Medium Buying. The group dominated the airwaves for weeks − much to the chagrin of Issue 1 supporters − but Protect Our Constitution eventually launched ad buys to the tune of $2.5 million.

The anti-abortion group Protect Women Ohio spent roughly $7.1 million in advertising to support Issue 1.

Both campaigns were largely bankrolled by out-of-state donors, even as they railed against the influence of outside interests. Protect Our Constitution received most of its funding from Illinois billionaire and conservative donor Richard Uihlein, while opponents got substantial help from progressive groups in California and Washington, D.C.

The full cost of the election won’t be known until September, when the campaigns face their next filing deadline.

Their efforts appeared to pay off, to a certain degree. Critics of Issue 1 were concerned that turnout would be low, and lawmakers limited August special elections for that very reason. But nearly 642,000 people cast early in-person or absentee ballots, outpacing the early vote turnout for the May 2022 primary.

About 40,000 absentee ballots were still outstanding when polls closed on Tuesday. Mail-in ballots that were postmarked on or before Monday must arrive by Aug. 12 to be counted.

So if things go as projected, Ohioans will be enacting a constitutional prohibition of the enslavement of pregnant women this fall.

[MajGenl.Meade]

As a Republican, I voted "no" regardless of the November pro-abortion initiative. I don't mind if the people choose 50% plus 1 or 60% plus 1 as the necessary margin for a proposal to get on the ballot.

What I object to is changing the rules to require obtaining signatures from each of 88 counties as opposed to a margin based on Ohio as a whole.

November will bring whatever it brings but the people of the State should decide the issue - not be thwarted by a trick to invalidate a proposal that has/will have achieved sufficient signatures to be on the ballot.

Working at the polls today, it was pleasing to see such a huge turnout in one little precinct (which I have no doubt also voted "no" by a significant margin).

[BoSoxGal]

I am starting to think we might be okay.

[Bicycle Bill]

I am starting to think we might be okay.

Does that mean you will NOT be heading off for the Hebrides?
Oh, drat.

-"BB"-

[rubato]

I am starting to think we might be okay.

You wide- eyed optimist. I love you.