Why am I voting on Issue 1 again? An explanation of abortion on the Ohio ballot

Disinformation and confusion around a pair of Issue 1s this year has so perplexed some voters that an Akron resident, who voted no in August, reportedly put up the wrong yard sign this month.

And Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a staunch opponent of abortion, took the unusual step of publicizing an analysis of the current Issue 1, which would create a constitutional right to women's reproductive health care in Ohio.

A major source of confusion is that Nov. 7 will be the second time in 2023 that voters decide on an Issue 1. If motivated by their views on abortion, they should vote the opposite of how they voted in August.

Here’s a quick summary of why Ohioans are voting again on Issue 1, and what passing or rejecting the current Issue 1 would do for abortion access in Ohio.

Republicans pushed August Issue 1

Republican state lawmakers, who previously outlawed August elections because of their high cost and low turnout, put Issue 1 on the August ballot in an attempt to make it harder for citizens to amend the Ohio Constitution.

Some Republicans, including Ohio's top election official, conceded that the August election was in direct response to the proposed abortion access issue this fall.

More: What Ohio voters and patients need to know about abortion in this critical election year

Polling showed just under 60% of Ohioans were supporting access to abortion, at least until about 20 or 22 weeks, when a fetus has a reasonable chance to survive outside the womb.

The August Issue 1 would have amended the Ohio constitution to require a 60% vote at the ballot box to make all future changes, including guaranteeing abortion access, to the state’s founding document.

But 57% of voters — and 22 of Ohio’s 88 counties — rejected the August Issue 1. Many voted in support women’s rights to reproductive health care. Others condemned what they saw as a power grab by politicians.

Abortion rights advocates are pushing November Issue 1

Early voting began Wednesday on the November Issue 1, which will be decided after the last vote is cast on Election Day in less than a month.

A simple majority is needed to pass the measure to guarantee access to abortion, miscarriage care and other medical procedures related to women’s reproductive health.

Voting yes is a vote to support access to abortion. Voting no is a vote to reject the legal right to an abortion.

If the no votes prevail, a law that criminalizes doctors for aborting pregnancies with fetal cardiac activity, which happens around six weeks gestation, when women may not yet know they are pregnant, could take effect.

The so-called Heartbeat Bill law was quickly paused by a judge after Republicans passed it in 2019. When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision last year, Attorney General Yost successfully petitioned a judge to lift the pause, which was reinstated about three months later.

Reach reporter Doug Livingston at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Why am I voting on Issue 1 again in Ohio?