If abortion rights proponents make the ballot, expect an expensive, bitter fight until November. Local officials have until July 20 to complete that work, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose will give a final thumbs up or down by July 25. Signatures can be tossed if the person wasn't registered to vote at the address written in or the person's handwriting was illegible. Mike DeWine's 2022 victory over Democrat Nan Whaley.Ĭounty board of elections officials will check these signatures for possible errors. That number represents 10% of voters in the most recent governor's race, which was Gov. To make the ballot, proponents must submit 413,487 valid signatures from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. Members include Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights. "Their language is too dangerous and too extreme."Ī coalition of two groups, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Protect Choice Ohio, worked together to collect signatures for the measure. Gonidakis said the proposed measure would eliminate any abortion restrictions in the state. "The ACLU’s attempts to hijack Ohio’s constitution to further its own radical agenda would be pathetic if they weren’t so dangerous," said Protect Women Ohio spokeswoman Amy Natoce, citing the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio's involvement in the ballot measure. The signature collection effort included a mix of volunteer and paid collectors, proponents said. Opponents of the proposed measure called it an "extreme anti-parent amendment" that had to rely on paid signature collectors to make the ballot. "We trust Ohioans to make their own reproductive health care decisions." What do opponents say? "Today we say, never again, not under our watch, not for us, not for our children, not for our children," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio. That law, passed in 2019, banned doctors from performing abortions after cardiac activity was detected. “They are all united by the belief that Ohioans need self-sovereignty and Ohioans need the right to control their own bodies and control their own medical care,” Azevedo said.Ībortion is currently legal in Ohio up until 21 weeks and six days into pregnancy because of a court order that placed a more restrictive abortion ban on hold for now. Marcela Azevedo, co-founder of the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, said the 442 boxes of signatures represent Ohioans of different races, religions and political backgrounds. Supreme Court's 2022 decision returning decisions about abortion access to the states and dozens of abortion restrictions imposed by Ohio's GOP-controlled Legislature.ĭr. "As goes Ohio, so goes the rest of the nation," Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said. That will mean an expensive ballot battle as proponents expect to spend $35 million on their campaign and opponents gear up for an 88-county fight. If the proposal makes the ballot, Ohio would be the only state voting on abortion this year. The proposed amendment to the state constitution would ensure "every individual has a right to make and carry out one's reproductive decisions," including abortion, contraception and miscarriage care. It will be several weeks before Ohioans know if this measure has officially made the fall ballot. Proponents of abortion access filed more than 700,000 signatures Wednesday to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.īackers of the measure filed 709,786 signatures − more than the required 413,487 to account for possible errors and mistakes. The campaign submitted 709,786 signatures. Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the number of signatures submitted by supporters of an abortion rights amendment because of an inaccurate number provided by the campaign.
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