OHIO — Ohioans across the state flocked to the polls on Tuesday for Ohio’s special election to decide Issue 1.
In early voting results, Issue 1 is failing with more than 65% of the votes as of 9:12 p.m.
Issue 1 has drawn much larger numbers of Ohio voters than most August elections, which usually decide local issues and have low voter turnout.
For Issue 1, election-day voters joined thousands of early and absentee voters who have been casting ballots since June.
Issue 1 is a Republican-led measure that would make amending the Ohio Constitution more difficult.
If voters approve Issue 1, it will change the way the state’s constitution can be amended by raising the number of signatures needed from a simple majority — 50% plus 1 – to 60% of the vote.
According to constitutional experts, Ohio’s simple majority requirement has been in place since 1912.
In addition, to place an amendment before voters, Issue 1 would require signatures to be gathered from at least 5% of voters who voted in the previous gubernatorial election in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, instead of signatures from voters in 44 counties.
Issue 1 also would eliminate a 10-day “cure period” that allows signatures to be replaced if the secretary of state’s office determines they are not valid.
Supporters of Issue 1 say the current process makes it easy for out-of-state interests to change the Ohio Constitution.
Opponents say lawmakers behind Issue 1 want to undercut an abortion-rights amendment Ohioans could see on November ballots.
Ohio has not held an August statewide election in more than 100 years.
