Ohio Republicans Seek Rule Change to Block Abortion Ballot Measure

Ohioans will vote this week on a ballot measure that could kill a November abortion rights ballot measure by raising the vote threshold for it to pass. 

Abortion Rights Amendment: Ohio’s constitution allows citizens to sidestep the state legislature and pass constitutional amendments via ballot measures. In November, Ohioans will vote on one such measure, backed by state Democrats, which would establish an individual right to pre-viability abortion — similar to the standard under Roe v. Wade. It would also establish a right to individual autonomy on contraception, fertility care, and miscarriage care.

Anti-Amendment Countermeasure: To stop the Democrat-backed ballot measure, Ohio’s Republican-controlled legislature scheduled an August 8 special election to consider “Issue 1”: a constitutional amendment that would, among other things, raise the threshold for ballot measure amendments from 50% to 60%. Multiple polls have found that about 58% of Ohioans backed the abortion rights amendment, but support for Issue 1 is more split.

How the Media Covered It: News and opinion coverage featured a clear partisan split. Coverage from the left often discussed “enshrining abortion rights”; Media Matters (Left bias) accused “right-wing media” of “muddying the water” on an effort to “dilute voter power.” National Review (Right bias), however, has on multiple occasions referred to the abortion rights amendment as “radical,” “pro-abortion,” and “extreme” — as well as “deceptive,” since it would allow more abortions than “the average Ohioan” might assume.