Ohio Voters Block GOP-Backed Issue 1 In Summer Election

Ohio voters took to the polls on Tuesday and overwhelmingly rejected Issue 1, a heavily Republican-backed measure that would have made changing the state’s constitution increasingly difficult. The failed GOP proposal would have raised the support threshold for state constitutional amendments from 50% to 60%.

In a widespread majority overrule, the failure of Issue 1 implies a safeguard for the upcoming statewide election for abortion rights in November, needing a 50% approval rating to implement protections, instead of 60%. A setback for Ohio Republicans, who support abortion restrictions in the conservative-leaning state, the issue was placed on the summer ballot in hopes of undercutting Ohioan initiatives that will be voted upon in November.

While abortion was not directly on the summer ballot, the November election will include questions on reproductive health care, where voters will address the right to their own reproductive decisions, including contraception, miscarriage and heavily debated abortion rights.

Dennis Willard, a spokesperson for the campaign One Person One Vote, called Issue 1 a “deceptive power grab” that was intended to diminish the influence of the state’s voters, at the Ohio watch party Tuesday evening, reported by AP News.

Frank LaRose, the Ohio Secretary of State, openly acknowledged that this was indeed the approach, aligning directly with the GOP’s continuous pattern of complicating the democratic process, to hide its political intentions from the citizens. Raw video obtained by News 5 Cleveland shows the secretary at Lincoln Day in Seneca County speaking on the true intentions of the proposal.

“The all out assault is coming from the radical left … the war continues. I’ve just begun to fight,” said LaRose.