Abortion Rights Victory: Ohio Voters Approve Issue 1, Cementing State Constitutional Right to Reproductive Freedom
Columbus OH — Ohioans today voted to approve Issue 1, a ballot measure that will codify reproductive freedom, including abortion rights, in the state’s constitution. The Ohioans United for Reproductive rights campaign, supported by the Fairness Project, won its “Yes” campaign Tuesday night.
Ohio is now the second state, after Michigan, where a citizen-initiated ballot measure was used to proactively defend reproductive rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned in July 2022. Additionally, in every state where an abortion question has been on the ballot since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, abortion rights have won.
In response to this victory, Fairness Project Executive Director Kelly Hall issued the following statement:
“This incredible win proves what we’ve known since Dobbs: that voters are tired of seeing their politicians fail and are prepared to take on major fights to defend reproductive freedom themselves. Despite Frank LaRose’s and other extremists’ attempts to derail the ballot measure process, mislead voters, and attack abortion rights, Ohioans showed up to protect abortion rights in their state for good. Congratulations to Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights on their major victory!
“Ballot measures are one of – if not the most – powerful tools we have to defend reproductive rights in a post-Roe nation, and this work will continue. Next, we are ready to fight alongside Arizona for Abortion Access in 2024 to secure reproductive freedom for all in another crucial battleground state.”
The Fairness Project supported Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights throughout their effort to pass Issue 1, continuing recent work to advance ballot measures on reproductive rights. The Fairness Project worked in 2022 to support the successful citizen-initiated Michigan Reproductive Freedom for All campaign as well as the legislatively referred measure supported by Vermont for Reproductive Freedom. It is also currently working to support Arizona for Abortion Access as it works to collect nearly 400,000 signatures to qualify a ballot measure for 2024.
The Fairness Project led a large coalition to defeat a proposal earlier this summer designed to end majority rule ahead of the reproductive freedom vote this fall. It would have allowed just 40% of voters to block popular measures in Ohio. That attempt by anti-abortion extremists and special interests to entrench minority rule was soundly rejected by voters in August.