While abortion was not directly on the special election ballot, the result marks the latest setback for Republicans in a conservative-leaning state who favor imposing tough restrictions on the procedure.

Ohio voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution, setting up a fall campaign that will become the nation’s latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nationwide protections last year.

  • curve@lemmy.world
    76·
    2 years ago

    Abortion is the big ticket item and the headline isn’t wrong but it’s also more than that- it would’ve basically given the Ohio Republican Party power for decades. They already illegally gerrymander, etc. and this would’ve made them even more unaccountable.

    • Current rules- 44 counties to get signatures, 10 day cure period to gather more if you fall short, 50+% to pass.
    • Proposed rules- 5% from ALL 88 counties, no cure period, 60% to pass.

    Essentially, grassroots initiatives already have a high hurdle and this would’ve made them effectively impossible. Only big moneyed interests could ever get anything on the ballot again.

    Very, very happy it failed.