Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 8, 2023 / 20:13 pm
Ohio voters rejected a proposed initiative that would have made it more difficult to adopt constitutional amendments via citizen-led ballot initiatives, which will make it easier for a proposed abortion referendum to succeed in November.
With 81% of the votes tallied at 10 p.m. Tuesday, about 57% had voted no on Issue 1 while about 43% voted yes on the initiative.
A yes vote was a vote in favor of raising the threshold required for adopting a constitutional amendment through a citizen-led ballot initiative. The proposal would have required 60% of the vote for an initiative to pass. With the amendment’s defeat, a simple majority is all that is required for a ballot initiative to win.
The proposal received support from pro-life organizations, various business associations, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. It was also supported by the Republican Party of Ohio. The opponents of the proposal included pro-abortion organizations, various unions, and the Democratic Party of Ohio.