COLUMBUS — Republicans in Ohio have set in motion a summer special election over a measure that would make it harder for voters to pass future constitutional amendments.
Polls are open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
If approved, the proposal, known as Issue 1, would erect several hurdles for voters to pass amendments to the state constitution, including raising the threshold to pass an amendment from a simple majority to 60%.
Early turnout on Issue 1 has been so heavy that some election offices are straining to manage the load and are trying to recruit additional poll workers.
More than 275,000 absentee ballots have been sent to Ohio voters since overseas early voting began on June 23, marking a significant increase in voter activity from last August’s statewide primary, Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office announced Friday.
With four days remaining until the polls open, LaRose says 578,490 ballots have already been cast.
According to data collected by The Associated Press, that’s approximately double the final early voting figures for Ohio’s two previous midterm primary elections, which included races for governor and Congress. In the May 2022 primary, for example, 288,700 people voted early, according to AP data.
State lawmakers eliminated Monday early voting hours to provide county boards of elections more time to prepare for the election so early voting ended Sunday.
Debate focuses on abortion, though it isn’t on the ballot
Helping to generate the high interest is a November ballot measure that would enshrine in Ohio’s Constitution the right to an abortion.
Even though there is nothing on Tuesday’s ballot that directly addresses reproductive rights, both sides in the Issue 1 debate have used the emotional issue as a tactic to motivate voters.
A separate ballot measure to establish “a fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the state constitution has qualified for November’s ballot.
Tuesday’s vote will determine whether that proposed amendment would require a simple majority or the 60% threshold for passage.
Out-of-state donors powering both sides of Issue 1 debate
An Associated Press analysis of campaign finance data shows that supporters and opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment change in Ohio are largely funded by out-of-state donors, despite repeated messaging about the need to get such interests out of Ohio politics.
The coalition supporting the measure, called Protect Our Constitution, is funded almost entirely by billionaire Illinois business owner Richard Uihlein.
The effort against Issue 1, called One Person One Vote, also raised a majority —- nearly 85% —- of its $14.8 million in contributions from outside Ohio, its filings show. Several of the largest donations came from so-called dark money groups that aren’t legally obligated to disclose their donors.