Ohio 2023 ballot measures
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Three statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in 2023 in Ohio. One ballot measure was on a special election ballot for August 8, and the other two were on the ballot for November 7.
For the August special election, the Ohio State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot, known as Issue 1, which would have required a 60% vote on future constitutional amendments, expanded the signature distribution requirement for citizen-initiated amendments, and eliminated the signature cure period. On August 8, voters rejected Issue 1 in a vote of 57% to 43%.
For the November election, two measures qualified for the ballot. A citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would establish a constitutional right to an abortion and other reproductive decisions, also referred to as Issue 1, qualified for the November 7 ballot. If voters approved Issue 1 in August, it would have increased the voter approval requirement for the abortion initiative to take effect. A citizen-initiated state statute that would legalize recreational marijuana, referred to as Issue 2, also qualified for the ballot.
Robert Alexander, the founding director of the Institute for Civics and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University, commented that the results for both issues in November may not occur among party lines. Alexander said, "The fact that these are issue elections, and there is no party officially tied to each of the ballot measures, that probably helps both of those issues. It’s really difficult in this highly polarized age to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on very much. Taking away party labels will likely lead to some agreement on these issues."[1]
Attorney James Sandy said that having both measures on the ballot may help both supporting campaigns. He said, "Being on the ballot with such a hot issue like abortion, some of the groups that might be willing to fundraise against legalizing adult-use in Ohio are going to be using those resources on the abortion initiative."[2]
In contrast, Mark Caleb Smith, director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University, said both measures appearing on the ballot could make it easier for opponents to organize to defeat them. Smith said, "This will give them some credence to argue that this is really a larger issue than just abortion. This is at a cultural division and voters should be very careful before they allow these kinds of efforts to amend the state constitution on these kinds of issues."[3]
Want to learn more about ballot measures in other states in 2023?
- You can find a list of 2023's certified statewide ballot measures here.
- You can find a list of 2023's certified local ballot measures here.
- Here is a list of bills and resolutions passed passed in 2023 to change the laws governing ballot measures.
On the ballot
August 8, 2023
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue 1 | Direct dem and Supermajority req | Require a 60% vote to approve a constitutional amendment; increase the signature distribution requirement; and eliminate the signature cure period |
|
1,329,052 (43%) |
1,769,482 (57%) |
November 7, 2023
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue 1 | Abortion and Con rights | Provide that each individual has the right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions |
|
2,227,384 (57%) |
1,695,480 (43%) |
|
| Issue 2 | Marijuana | Legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older |
|
2,226,399 (57%) |
1,666,316 (43%) |
Potential measures
For 2023, measures that were certified for the ballot are available here, and measures that failed to make the ballot are available here.
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens
In Ohio, citizens have the power to initiate constitutional amendments, state statutes, and veto referendums. Voters approved a constitutional amendment for initiative and referendum powers in 1912.
In Ohio, signatures for citizen-initiated measures must come from 44 of Ohio's 88 counties.
Legislature
The Ohio General Assembly can refer statewide ballot measures, in the form of constitutional amendments and state statutes, to the ballot in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years. In Ohio, the most common type of legislative referral is the constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval. Between 1995 and 2018, just one legislative referral was a statute.
Ohio requires a 60 percent vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 60 votes in the Ohio House of Representatives and 20 votes in the Ohio State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Referral of 2023 constitutional amendments
The following table illustrates the vote requirements for each constitutional amendment certified for the ballot, the votes each amendment received, and how Democrats and Republicans voted on each amendment in each legislative chamber:
| Ohio Issue 1 | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 20 | Yes votes: 26 (78.7%) | No votes: 7 (21.2%) | Yes: 0; No: 7 | Yes: 26; No: 0 |
| House: | Required: 60 | Yes votes: 62 (62.62%) | No votes: 37 (37.37%) | Yes: 0; No: 32 | Yes: 62; No: 5 |
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Constitutional and Legal Rights Relating to Public Safety Initiative | Law enforcement | Provide policies when state and local governments violate an individual’s constitutional and legal rights when it relates to public safety | 
|
| CICA | Medical Right to Refuse Initiative | Healthcare | Provide for a state constitutional right to "refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine, prophylactic, pharmaceutical, or medical device" | 
|
See also
External links
- ↑ The Soapbox, "Will Legal Pot and Abortion Rights Be a Potent Combination for Ohio Voters?" August 30, 2023
- ↑ High Times ,"Ohio Cannabis Legalization Initiative Approved For November Ballot," accessed August 18, 2023
- ↑ State News, "Abortion and pot on the same ballot: Political experts weigh in on how it might affect outcomes," accessed August 18, 2023
