Ohioans Approve Amendment Enshrining Abortion Rights in State Constitution
In a significant victory for pro-abortion advocates, Ohioans voted on Tuesday to establish abortion rights in the state constitution. The ballot measure, known as Issue 1, asked voters whether the constitution should be amended to recognize “an individual right to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, included but not limited to abortion.” The amendment, which will take effect in 30 days, protects access to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, with exceptions for cases where the life of the mother is at risk.
The Associated Press declared that Ohioans approved the measure, surpassing the required 50% simple majority needed for it to pass. Earlier in August, Republicans in the state legislature attempted to raise the threshold to 60% through a special election, but abortion rights groups successfully defended the simple majority requirement.
Ohio, a Republican-leaning state that supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election, now joins other red states where voters have consistently shown support for expanding abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in June 2022.
The state of Ohio had previously passed a law banning abortions after approximately six weeks, but court bans have prevented its enforcement due to ongoing litigation. The law briefly took effect last year following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, but national outrage ensued after the case of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim, who had to travel to Indiana for an abortion, gained attention.
Currently, Ohio allows abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The results of this election mean that the new constitutional amendment will block the six-week abortion ban.
Republicans and Democrats used this election as an opportunity to gauge the importance of the abortion issue for voters leading up to the 2024 election. The outcome indicates strong support for abortion rights among Ohioans, posing a challenge for Republicans as they prepare for the 2024 election in the Buckeye State.
Abortion rights groups are now aiming to build on this momentum by pushing for more ballot initiatives in key presidential battleground states like Arizona and Florida in 2024.
