COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters rejected a proposal that would have made it more difficult for voters to amend the state constitution, including one measure set for the November ballot that would guarantee abortion rights in the state.
The Associated Press has called Tuesday's race, determining that supporters of the proposal known as Issue 1 fell short in their effort to require future changes to the state constitution to win the support of 60% of voters instead of a straight majority.
A previous version of this story reads below:
Voters made their voices heard on Issue 1, a proposal to raise the threshold needed to amend the state’s constitution from a simple majority of the state’s voters to 60%. It would also increase the petitioning requirements to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot.
The proposal on the ballot, known as Issue 1, would raise the threshold for passing future changes to the Ohio Constitution from a simple majority to 60%. That would raise the bar for another election in November, when voters in the state are scheduled to consider a constitutional amendment that would guarantee access to abortion.
With that in mind, voters turned out in massive numbers for a summer special election. During the early voting period, which ended Sunday, the number of advance ballots cast hit nearly 700,000, more than double the early vote during primary elections in 2018 and 2022, when high-profile races for U.S. Senate and governor were on the ballot.
The vote on Tuesday was poised to become the latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to rescind federal protections for the procedure, creating a state-by-state patchwork of restrictions and bans. Voters in other Republican-leaning states, including Kansas and Kentucky, have responded by protecting abortion access, and the issue helped Democrats limit their losses in last year's midterm elections.
Ohio could be well positioned to join the list of conservative-leaning states moving to protect access to abortion. AP VoteCast polling last year found that 59% of Ohio voters say abortion should generally be legal.
Here’s a look at what to expect on election night:
ELECTION DAY
Polls closed statewide at 7:30 p.m. ET.
WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT
The only contest on the ballot for this special statewide election is Issue 1, which would require any future amendments to the state constitution to receive approval from at least 60% of voters. A “Yes” vote is in favor of raising the vote threshold to 60%. A “No” vote opposes the measure and would keep the threshold at a simple majority.
WHO GETS TO VOTE
All registered voters in Ohio are eligible to vote on this statewide ballot measure.
DECISION NOTES
The Associated Press does not make projections. If the outcome of the ballot measure has not been called, the AP will explain why and will continue to cover any newsworthy developments.
In Ohio, statewide ballot measures with a vote margin of 0.25% or less are subject to a mandatory recount. Voters may also request and pay for recounts for contests with a larger vote margin. The AP may call a measure that requires a mandatory recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE
As of June 16, there were 6.6 million active voters registered in Ohio. The state does not register voters by party. Turnout in the 2022 general election was 51% of registered voters. Turnout for two statewide ballot measures in 2017 was 29% of registered voters.
The state reported more than 533,000 votes cast in advance as of Wednesday, including more than 176,000 mail ballots returned and 356,000 early in-person ballots cast. The state sent out almost 272,000 absentee ballots to voters. In the 2022 general election, almost 1.5 million Ohioans voted before Election Day, or about 35% of the electorate.
HOW LONG DOES VOTE-COUNTING USUALLY TAKE
In the 2022 general election, the AP first reported results at 7:31 p.m. ET. Election night tabulation ended shortly before 3 a.m. ET, with 97.6% of the votes counted. By noon ET the next day, 2.4% of the total vote remained to be tabulated. In 2020, 2.6% of the total vote was counted after noon ET the day after Election Day.
VOTING IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION
WHEN ARE THE POLLS OPEN?
Polls are open throughout Ohio for the Aug. 8 special election from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Remember, you are still permitted to vote as long as you're in line before the polls close at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE IS MY POLLING PLACE?
You can find your polling location HERE.
WHAT FORM OF ID SHOULD I BRING SO I CAN VOTE?
You need to have a form of ID with you to cast a ballot on election day. Acceptable forms of identification as listed by the Secretary of State's office are as follows:
- Ohio driver's license;
- State of Ohio ID card;
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
- A US passport;
- A US passport card;
- US military ID card;
- Ohio National Guard ID card; or
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed;
- A photograph of the voter;
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book
Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of ID:
- Driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio;
- Social Security card
- Birth certificate
- Insurance card
- Utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check
- Paycheck
- Other government document
- Any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections
WHAT IF I FORGET MY ID?
"If you do not provide one of the above forms of photo ID, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot," according to the Secretary of State. "However, for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification. If you do not have a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photographed, you may complete an affidavit of religious objection and have your provisional ballot count."
WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR ABSENTEE VOTING?
- July 11: Absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting begin.
- Aug. 1: Absentee ballot applications must be received by your local Board of Elections by 8:30 p.m.
- Aug. 6: Early in-person voting ends.
- Aug. 7: Your mail-in absentee ballot must be postmarked by this date.
- Aug. 8: You can return your absentee ballot in person at your county Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m.
- Aug. 12: This is the last day for your Board of Elections to receive your absentee ballot.
HOW DO I TRACK MY ABSENTEE BALLOT?
There's a tracking tool for all Ohio voters to use HERE.