Ohio ballot measure fails, a win for abortion protection supporters

(NewsNation) — Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected Issue 1, a proposal that would have made it harder to amend the state’s constitution, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection.

If Tuesday’s measure had passed, it would have created a tougher road ahead for those in favor of a separate ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion access and is set to go before voters in November.

As it stands now, the November initiative needs a simple majority to pass, rather than the 60% proposed under Issue 1.

Exit polls last year in Ohio revealed 58% of people said abortion should be legal. A recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll also found that 58% of respondents supported the abortion amendment on the ballot in November.

Democrats largely opposed Issue 1, labeling it an attempt to block future attempts at abortion protections.

“This special election is about powerful people trying to get more power – at Ohioans’ expense,” Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown wrote on social media Tuesday.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi similarly criticized the effort, saying, “extreme republicans are trying to convince Ohioans to give away their own power at the polls.”

Those in support of Issue 1, however, said it was introduced to limit outside influence.

“We’re actually trying to make it harder for out of state special interests to rewrite the Ohio constitution,” Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ohio is just one of several states where ballot measures have been introduced to set parameters around abortion access.

Similar efforts in New York and Maryland will go before voters in November 2024.

Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota are all considering proposed but not-yet-certified ballot measures that would either protect or restrict abortion access.