Photo of people in voting booths at a polling location

Have your say on Issue 1; Ohio’s election draws national attention

Nearly 580,000 had cast ballots as of Thursday—more than 90% of total August 2022 vote

After weeks of texts, mailers and advertisements on both sides of Issue 1, voters now get to have their say on the measure.

If approved, the proposed constitutional amendment would increase the requirements to change Ohio’s constitution through a ballot initiative. The full text of the measure can be found on this page of the Ohio Secretary of State website

Polling places statewide opened at 6:30 this morning, and will close at 7:30 this evening. Absentee ballots will still be received in person at your county Board of Elections tonight until the polls close.

The outcome of today’s election will be closely watched across the country; the election itself already has drawn interest from national outlets like The Washington Post and NBC News, as well as The Atlantic and Time magazines.

If you haven’t yet voted, please be sure to double-check your polling place. Some locations in Northeast Ohio have been temporarily relocated. Those in Cuyahoga County can find the most current information at its Board of Elections’ website; the Secretary of State’s office has additional details for all Ohioans on this webpage.

As one example, the university’s Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall is hosting Ward 9 voters from precincts J, K, L and P today because of construction taking place at their usual polling place, the Mary M. Bethune School. 

As noted in a campuswide message sent Monday afternoon, Lot 56 (located between Mather Park and the STJ Residence Hall) is closed from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. today to accommodate voter parking.

(Please note: Those who wish to cast ballots in person must be able to present identification that meets Ohio’s current requirements.)

Finally, the university’s Center for Civic Education and Learning also has posted information for voters on its website.