COLUMBUS, Ohio — In about a month, Ohioans will decide if it should be harder to make changes to the state's constitution.
The Aug. 8 special election will ask voters to vote "yes" or "no" on Issue 1, a proposal that would require 60% of voters to pass a new constitutional amendment, instead of a simple majority of 50% plus one.
The election will likely have one of the largest turnouts for an August special election.
"We've had about 9,000 absentee ballot requests that have been requested here in Franklin County," said Aaron Sellers, spokesperson for the Franklin County Board of Elections.
Here's what you'll see on your ballot:
The proposed amendment would:
Require that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60% of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.
- Require that any initiative petition filed on or after Jan. 1, 2024, with the Secretary of State proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio be signed by at least five percent of the electors of each county based on the total vote in the county for governor in the last preceding election.
- Specify that additional signatures may not be added to an initiative petition proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio that is filed with the Secretary of State on or after Jan. 1, 2024, proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
If Issue 1 passes, it'll make it harder for advocates fighting to pass an amendment to create a constitutional right to abortion in November.
Jen Miller is the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. She wants people to vote "no," keeping the threshold at 50%.
"We're calling on every Ohioan to not only make sure that they are registered to vote by Monday, but they're checking in on all of their friends and family. Too many Ohioans don't even know that there is a special election or that the issue is so important to our everyday lives," she said.
She said voting down Issue 1 would take away the freedom for everyday citizens to pass policies.
"There are so many issues that we have secured through citizen-led ballot initiatives, and we're really concerned that if this passes, only well-financed groups will be able to bring ballot initiatives to the people and win. And, you know, citizen groups like the League of Women Voters will not be able to do this. It'll be too hard and too expensive," she said.
Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal, supports Issue 1. "It's too easy to change the constitution. It should be difficult just as it's difficult to change the U.S. Constitution," he said.
He said it goes beyond abortion rights and urges people to vote "yes."
"This is the framework for governing Ohio; therefore, policy issues like abortion, marijuana, gambling, and all these other things should be left for the state legislature to decide," Harrington said.
The voter registration deadline is Monday, July 10, at 9 p.m. Boards of Elections will stay open until 9 p.m. Early in-person voting starts on Tuesday, July 11.