Measure to increase requirements to amend Ohio constitution on Aug. 8 ballot
The Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) reminds the campus community that the deadline to register to vote in Ohio’s upcoming special election is Monday, July 10.
The Aug. 8 election involves a single ballot item: Issue 1, an amendment to the Ohio Constitution that increases the requirements for changing Ohio’s constitution through ballot initiatives.
Today citizens who wish to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot must secure signatures from at least 5% of the voters in the previous gubernatorial election in half of the state’s counties. Once on the ballot, that measure must secure approval of a simple majority of those voting (e.g., 50% plus 1).
If voters approve Issue 1, the signature requirement would apply to all 88 of the state’s counties, while 60% of those voting would have to approve a proposed amendment for it to go into effect.
The full text of the measure can be found on this page of the Ohio Secretary of State website. CCEL has posted information on its website regarding voter eligibility, registration, and participation in vote by mail.