Ohio Issue 1

Ohio Issue 1 is the name of two ballot initiatives in Ohio in 2023, first a conservative legislature-approved ballot initiative on August 8, 2023, would have raised the threshold for future ballot initiatives to 60%, from 50% plus 1, and second a pro-abortion ballot initiative to return abortion-on-demand including partial-birth abortion without legislative approach.

A massive influx of Leftist money from California and other out-of-state sources exploited early voting to defeat the August initiative by a 57-43% margin. The margin was about 429,000 votes, far less than the 642,000 early votes were cast, mostly as driven by the liberal political machine. This was "more than twice the amount of early votes cast ahead of the May 2022 primaries, and over four times the amount of early votes cast for last August's primaries for Ohio House and Senate races." If 70% of early votes were Dem political machine-type votes, such as ballot harvesting-type activities, then that computes to 449,400 extra Dem votes that would not exist if the election were limited to Election Day as in Alabama and a few other states.

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The campaign against Issue 1 spent nearly $15 million to discourage Ohioans from supporting the initiative, about 85% of which came from outside the state. A large portion of this money was funneled through the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the Tides Foundation, which allow donors to provide funding to left-wing causes without publicly disclosing the donations.

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Much of the Republican money spent was wasted on expensive television ads that enrich consultants without doing what is needed: a get-out-the-vote effort directed at voters already on the conservative side.

Liberals opposed this ballot initiative, as easy, low-threshold referenda are how the liberal agenda (cannabis, gambling, abortion, etc.) is being enacted in states that allow it. Florida has the 60% threshold that minimizes harm.

Conservative populist Sen. JD Vance supports Ohio Issue 1, as do Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank Rose, and many state legislators. Sen. Vance points out the need to raise the threshold to limit the influence of out-of-state spending to pass laws by ballot initiative in Ohio.

"New Hampshire requires 66% to amend the state constitution; Florida requires 60% and Colorado requires 55%," so Ohio would not have not have the highest threshold if Ohio Issue 1 passes.

Polling

About 10 days before Election Day on this, but during its early voting, one poll showed a nearly even split in opinion:

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Ohio Northern pollsters found potential voters to be split 42-41 in supporting and opposing the measure. Democrats and Republicans are almost equally split with 56 percent of Democrats opposed and 53 percent of Republicans in support. ... Independent voters showed little preference for or against the measure.

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See also

• Cincinnati Enquirer analysis
• analysis and praise of the Republican response of withdrawing jurisdiction