Ohio Supreme Court Allows August Special Election on Anti-Democracy Issue 1 to Move Forward

Columbus, OH — Today, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a special election set for August 8 on a proposed constitutional amendment regarding ballot measures can occur. The only question on the ballot is Issue 1, a proposal to require that 60% of voters approve citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, instead of a simple majority — meaning that a small group of voters would have control over such decisions.

In response to the ruling, Fairness Project Executive Director Kelly Hall issued the following statement:

“The August special election in Ohio is an election of, by, and for special interests, and it’s very disappointing that the Ohio Supreme Court is allowing it to happen. Issue 1 is a blatant attempt to undermine direct democracy and diminish voters’ rights to make their own decisions on issues that matter to them. Despite this unfortunate ruling, we’re confident in the strong, pro-democracy coalition that has formed to defeat Issue 1. The Fairness Project will continue doing everything we can to support the work to defend the sacred principle of one person, one vote in Ohio.”

Earlier this week, the Ohio Supreme Court also ruled on challenges to the ballot measure language set to appear before voters. The court ordered that the original language was likely to mislead voters and must be rewritten before the election.