BEREA, Ohio — As the Nov. 7 general election quickly approaches, a new poll from Baldwin Wallace University is showing that Ohioans are in favor of Issue 1 and Issue 2.
According to a survey from the BW Community Research Institute, the majority of likely Ohio voters favor the constitutional protection of abortion rights and the legalization of recreational marijuana.
The survey was given to 850 registered voters, 750 of whom identified as likely voters, between Oct. 9-11.
Below is a breakdown of the survey results:
ISSUE 1: Protection of abortion rights
58% of respondents are in favor of passing Issue 1, while 8% of the survey respondents were undecided.
Breakdown of supporters:
- 89% of Democrats
- 39% of Republicans
- 51% of independents
- 65% of parents
- 54% of gun owners
- 37% of evangelicals support Issue 1
If Issue 1 passes in the November general election, it will "establish an individual right to one's own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion."
This ballot initiative comes after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, and individual states were given the opportunity to decide their own laws on the matter.
ISSUE 2: Legalization of recreational marijuana
57% of the respondents said that they plan to vote "yes" on Issue 2, while 7% of the individuals were undecided.
Breakdown of supporters:
- 66% of Democrats
- 50% of Republicans
- 59% of independents
- 70% of parents
- 71% of respondents ages 18-49
- 47% of evangelicals
- 47% of respondents age 50 and older
If Issue 2 passes in the November general election, it will "commercialize, regulate, legalize and tax the adult use of cannabis."
The measure, spearheaded by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, would allow adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower and 15 grams of extract. If the issue passes, Ohio would become the 24th state to legalize cannabis for adult use.
"The majorities of respondents in these demographics favoring Issue 1 and Issue 2 indicate a strong likelihood of a majority vote for both ballot issues in November," said Dr. Tom Sutton, political science professor and director of the BW CRI.
The survey also revealed that 67% of respondents were "certain to vote" on Nov. 7.
"Issue 1 and Issue 2 are personal for many Ohioans, which means that we can expect voter turnout will be much higher than usual for an off-year election only involving voting for local offices," said Sutton.
