Media Releases

Today, the One Person, One Vote campaign in Ohio launched an ad campaign in opposition to Issue 1, a proposal from the General Assemblyto require citizen-initiated ballot measures to pass by a supermajority of 60%. 

This week, Rolling Stone covered the coordinated attack by conservative state legislators and special interests to crack down on citizen-initiated ballot measures in order to further restrict abortion rights.

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

This week, The New Yorker spotlighted how advocates for direct democracy, including the Fairness Project, are fighting back against to right-wing attacks on the ballot measure process in Ohio in advance of a proposed reproductive rights amendment this fall.

The resolution in Ohio is the latest in a string of attacks on the ballot measure process. Last year, legislators in South Dakota and Arkansas attempted to implement a 60% threshold but it was rejected by voters.

Ohio illustrates growing red-state trend of attacking direct democracy to undermine voter-led progress at the ballot box.

Republican legislators in several states could pass new attacks on the ballot initiative process as soon as next week, including Ohio and Missouri.

This week, the New York Times covered recent efforts by conservative politicians to crack down on citizen-initiated ballot measures in order to block pro-choice legislation from being passed directly by voters.