After Ohio voters rejected Issue 1 on Tuesday, the fight quickly turned to November, when a reproductive rights issue will be on the ballot. State Issue 1 failed statewide but passed easily in Adams County. Unofficial results from the Adams County Board of Elections show that 4,004 people voted yes for Issue 1, compared to 1,513 no votes, for a split of 72% to 27%.
Politicians and policy groups applauded the defeat – 57% to 43% – of the Republican-backed proposal that would have changed more than 100 years of history and required a 60% majority to amend the state’s constitution. After the defeat, amendments continue to need a simple majority to pass.
At the same time, their focus moved to the November general election and reproductive rights.
“This democratic victory means that Ohioans can continue to pursue reforms that the majority of voter support, such as ending gerrymandering by creating a bipartisan independent citizens’ redistricting commission, protecting reproductive rights, increasing the minimum wage, enacting common-sense gun reform, and fully legalizing marijuana,” said Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 and the push behind Issue 1 and the August special election, said there is an assault planned on the state’s constitution.
“Unfortunately, we were dramatically outspent by dark money billionaires from California to New York, and the giant ‘for sale’ sign still hangs on Ohio’s constitution. Ohioans will see the devastating impact of this vote soon enough,” LaRose said. “The radical activists that opposed Issue 1 are already planning amendments to shut parents out of a child’s life-altering medical procedure, force job-killing wage mandates on small businesses, prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting their families and remove critical protections for our first responders. I’ve said for months now that there’s an assault coming on our constitution, and that hasn’t changed. I’m just getting started in the fight to protect Ohio’s values.”
Unofficial Election Results can be found here: https://liveresults.ohiosos.gov/
