August 8th Election: Issue 1

The views expressed in this article belong to the League of Women Voters of Darke County and not necessarily My County Link, its affiliates, or employees. 

Confused about the August election?

For 111 years, ordinary citizens had the right and ability to amend our constitution, in Ohio, by ballot initiatives. That means collecting signatures to place an issue on the ballot, allowing Ohio voters the right to accept or reject it. Issue 1, on the ballot in August, would effectively stop your ability to amend the Constitution if passed. Here’s how:

1. To get an issue on the ballot, you currently must secure the signatures of 5% of the people who voted in the last governor’s election out of 44 counties. If Issue 1 is passed, that will double to all 88 counties. If one county doesn’t get enough signatures (you guessed it), it won’t make it on the ballot.
2. Presently, when an issue makes it to the ballot, it passes or fails with majority rule – 50% plus one vote. If Issue 1 is passed, that will change that to 60%. The Legislature put this special election on the ballot with a simple majority rule vote. We’ve learned that the principle of majority rule is key to democratic systems.
3. August elections were rightfully eliminated because of low voter turnout. They are expensive, and Frank LaRose, our Secretary of State, said they were “unnecessary” and they “aren’t good for the taxpayers, election officials, voters or the civic health of our state.”  The Legislature scheduled this August election in spite of their own ban.  Let’s allow all of the voters of Ohio to participate in this important issue and allow participation from all the voters.

Former Republican Governors Bob Taft and John Kasich, and former Democratic Governors Dick Celeste and Ted Strickland, described the plan as unfair to Ohioans. Gov. Taft said, “For more than 100 years, amendments to the Ohio Constitution have been decided by a simple majority vote. The decision to change such a deeply embedded practice should not be made at a low turnout election.”

Please join them and us in voting NO on August 8 to KEEP the rights we have had for 111 years.

Paid for by the League of Women Voters of Darke County, a non-partisan political organization whose mission is to educate the public through voter service on candidates (never supporting or opposing candidates) and advocating on issues that we have studied.