Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to raise the threshold for passing all future constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. It is gaining national attention as a political power grab intended to change the rules and rob Ohio voters of their voice.
A CBS News investigation found the effort behind Issue 1 in Ohio is “one flank in a coordinated nationwide campaign” funded by special interests to make it harder for voters to use direct democracy and create change.
Our dedicated team at Ohio Citizen Action has been working tirelessly to inform people about the August special election and protect democracy in Ohio.
Every day, we’re talking to voters, informing them about the election in August and recording their responses as to why they’re voting No!
The upcoming high-stakes August special election has implications for national politics, and has local election offices scrambling. Republican lawmakers reversed their own law, leading to a tight timeframe and poll worker recruitment challenges.
We are urging you to vote NO in August because…
It ends Majority Rule as we know it:
This amendment shreds our Constitution, ending majority rule in Ohio and taking away our right to decide what happens here. It undermines the sacred principle of “one person, one vote.” It gives a small number of voters, 41 percent, the power to block initiatives that the majority wants.
To protect our freedom:
We all want the freedom to make decisions that affect our lives. Ballot initiatives let us exercise that freedom. But some politicians don’t like the decisions we’ve made so they want to rewrite the rules, so they can get what they want instead of what the people want.
It’s a special election for special interests:
This constitutional amendment is a political ploy put on the ballot by extreme special interests and politicians to permanently change Ohio’s constitution, ending majority rule and the principle of “one person one vote.” It’s a special election for special interests. They’re rushing it through in August – when they know fewer people vote – to trick voters into giving up their rights. The cost? $20 million dollars of your taxpayer money.
Ohio has held August elections, almost always at the local level, mostly to decide tax issues. They have notoriously low voter turnout. That’s why Republican state lawmakers decided to eliminate them last December. But they brought them back to for the 60% issue to try to spoil the abortion measure.
Ohio Citizen Action organizes and mobilizes people to advocate for public interests. In person, by phone, and online, we engage people in actions that protect public health, improve environmental quality, and benefit consumers. Our campaigns connect Ohioans and build a movement to protect democracy and create a sustainable future.