Ohio Voters Reject Constitutional Change In Big Victory For Abortion Rights Movement

In what is a major victory for abortion rights activists, Ohio voters have resoundingly rejected Issue 1, which would have made it harder to amend the Ohio state constitution by a vote of 57% to 43%.

The measure would have raised the threshold for an amendment to the state constitution from a simple majority to 60%. Republican lawmakers had initially supported the proposal to turn the amendment process to their own advantage, making it harder to make abortion rights part of the constitution. In November, voters will vote on whether to add abortion protections to the state constitution.

The Ohio Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, has passed some of the country’s strictest bans on abortion, curbing the procedure at six weeks as nationwide protests began against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In a win for democracy, the defeat of Issue 1 will help activists in November when the issue is put before the voters. Issue 1 also boosted voter interest, which was five times higher than total voter turnout this time, with nearly 700,000 Ohioans casting their votes in an oddly timed election.