Voters in Ohio rejected a closely watched proposal known as Issue 1 that would have made it much more difficult to change the state's Constitution in what is seen as a victory for pro-abortion rights supporters.
The proposed Constitutional amendment most likely failed to pass because it could not garner the majority support it needed. With only a little under half of precincts reporting, the measure was doomed to fail by a margin of 57% to 42% two hours after polls had closed.
Ohio Voters Reject Issue 1 Proposal
That Issue 1 proposal would have increased the threshold for approving future changes to the state's Constitution through the ballot box from a simple majority. This would have raised the previously required 50% plus one vote to 60%.
In a statement on social media, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio said that by rejecting Issue 1, Ohio residents were rejecting special interests and are demanding that democracy remain where it belongs, which is in the hands of voters and not the rich and powerful, as per CBS News.
The result of the special election on Tuesday maintains the lower bar that has been in effect since 1912 and could also pave the way moving forward for the approval of the proposed Constitutional amendment that is on the ballot in November. That particular measure seeks to protect abortion rights.
A poll from July from the USA Today Network and Suffolk University revealed that 58% of Ohio voters supported efforts to enshrine abortion access in the state's founding document.
Almost 700,000 Ohio residents voted early, either in-person or by mail, far greater than the number of early votes cast during the May 2022 primary election. In a Tuesday statement, United States President Joe Biden said that the measure was a blatant attempt to weaken voters' influence and erode the freedom of women to make their own healthcare decisions.
Protecting Abortion Rights
On top of raising the threshold to change the Constitution, Issue 1 would have removed a 10-day "curing" period. During this time, groups are allowed to gather additional signatures to replace any previous signatures that officials deem invalid, according to NBC News.
The proposal being shot down also marks another victory for abortion-rights groups who have recently enjoyed a clean sweep of victories in all seven states where abortion rights were on the ballot 14 months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The vote's outcome also shows how abortion is still a major liability for Republican candidates. Various polls have shown that nationwide, voters broadly favor abortion protections, which Democratic lawmakers used as the center of a successful strategy last year to keep their control of the Senate.
The recent vote comes as the Ohio Legislature passed some of the United States' strictest curbs on abortion last year. Lawmakers have banned the procedure as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy, said the New York Times.
