The Republican-backed effort consists of two interdependent prongs: House . Ohio will hold its primary election on May 2 and while what . Resource Details Share this Backers of the initiated statute originally wanted the proposal before voters in November 2022, but an attorney for the Ohio House and other state officials believed the law required the . Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom told the Dayton Daily News in March that they plan to collect a minimum of 700,000 signatures. 3News will offer special coverage of the election as soon as polls close on WKYC+ (available on Roku and FireTV). Of the 49 states that require voter approval for constitutional amendments (Delaware does not require voter approval for constitutional amendments), 38 states require a simple majority vote while 11 states require a supermajority vote or other criteria that must be met for ratification. Ballotpedia covered local ballot measures in Ohio for voters in two counties on two election dates, including November 8. State executives | But I still dont believe, after listening to the debate, that this is the way forward.". Mike DeWine appears poised to sail to another four years in office. On January 5, 2022, it was reported that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose resubmitted the measure to the Ohio General Assembly. Ohio Issue 2, the Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022. Attorney General: Ohio's top lawyer is an important job. The proposal says that when setting bail amounts . Starting the day after the close of voter registration, registered voters may cast an early in-person ballot at their county board of elections. But its not exclusively about that because the next thing coming down the line is minimum wage. But the motive is clear: Facing the possibility that abortion rights could be enshrined into the state constitution by a vote of the people later this year, Republicans want to change the rules by making it tougher to pass such amendments by requiring them to receive 60 percent of the vote. The abortion people say he is targeting us. Still, it is doubtful the abortion ballot measure could achieve a three-fifths majority. 0:44. An Ohio bill banning abortions after six weeks has been blocked in the courts. How to vote | After amendments to SJR2 Tuesday, both resolutions also propose new rules that would make it harder for citizen initiatives proposing constitutional amendments to appear on the ballot. The episode is also available by clicking the link in thisarticle. Nicholas Kallis of End Abortion Ohio said it is now more necessary than ever to raise the voter threshold on constitutional amendments ahead of the abortion-rights initiative. The first round of signatures for an indirect initiative must be filed at least 10 days prior to the legislative session of the year proponents want the measure addressed. Ohio voters will decide several big races and issues throughout the state in the upcoming general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. A guide to voting times in all 50 states. The proposed amendment does not require Gov. .sbtotalheader { Under this measure, adults would be authorized to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates, and individuals would be able to grow six marijuana plants at home or up to 12 plants per household. Under the . Beachwood City Council agreed to offer a reprieve of the city's 2.4-mill levy for several years if the bond issue passes in order to incentivize voter support for the new developments. Send us a picture on Facebook, Twitter or by texting it to us at 216-344-3300 (please include your name and location). Apr. On January 13, 2022, the campaign announced that they submitted an additional 29,918 signatures. Ohio will hold its primary election on May 2 and while what voters will decide on may vary from county to county, many will see a school levy on their ballot. It happened in Kansas shortly after the Supreme Court acted, when 59 percent of voters said they wanted to keep the protection already in the state constitution. Asked about waiting until the Nov. 7 general election to put the issue in front of voters, LaRose said, I cant speak for (the Legislature), but the thinking is no time like the present because theres currently an effort to put something in the constitution that doesnt belong there. What's on the Ballot? RELATED: Political gamesmanship continues around Ohio's legislative maps. The committee reported $1.50 million in cash and in-kind contributions, and $1.42 million in expenditures. Ohioans are going to choose three justices for the state Supreme Court this November as well as a secretary of state, attorney general, auditor and treasurer. LaRose said the proposal was designed to help protect the Ohio Constitution from continued abuse by special interests and out-of-state activists. Later, Stewart said explicitly in a letter to fellow Republicans in the state House that the reason for the new proposal was because the left was trying to do an end run around us to put abortion rights into the state constitution and to give unelected liberals and allies on the state Supreme Court power to draw legislative districts. COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH) It's only one week before voters across Ohio will head to the ballot box. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy Policy. When do results come in? The Ohio State Senate passed an amendment that would raise the threshold for voters to approve ballot measures that would amend the Ohio Constitution. NEW ALBANY, OH MAY 03: Roster judge Jeff Greenberg checks a voter during the Ohio primary election, May 3, 2022, at the Grace Life Nazarene Church voting location, New Albany, Ohio. Learn more about how to vote by mail and to request an application Early Voting & Election Day Frequently Asked Voting Questions Marozzi also questioned what raising the voter threshold would do to stifle out-of-state special interests from participating in the citizen's initiative process, and argued that it would instead make amendments functionally out of reach for initiatives that are not backed by special interests. "They don't want to hear from us. An Akron resident votes early at the Summit County Board of Elections. What's on your ballot? I would argue that none of those things belong in the constitution and certainly you shouldnt be allowed to do it with a bare majority of 50 percent plus one,, fly below the radar. In Ohio, the most common type of legislative referral is the constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval. [20], On May 13, 2022, the CTRMLA reached a settlement with state officials, allowing them to resubmit the first 132,887 collected signatures at the start of the 2023 legislative session.[21]. Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2023), recently scheduled reports processed by Ballotpedia, Campaign finance requirements for Ohio ballot measures, Marijuana laws and ballot measures in the United States, Laws governing the initiative process in Ohio, Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol campaign website, Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Facebook page, Petition drive deadlines and requirements, Changes in 2022 to laws governing the initiative process, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ohio_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2023)&oldid=9117882, Potential future date statewide ballot measures, Certified to the legislature for the 2023 ballot, Potential indirect initiated state statute, 2023, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. As Curtin has said, this represents a clear attempt to take power away from citizens and put it in the hands of statehouse politicians. There's no accountability because they gerrymandered themselves a supermajority.". Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D) said, At face value, this sounds pretty good. Ohio has recently moved toward the Republicans, but the majority of public opinion appears to favor abortion rights, as is the case nationwide. We will showcase live results all night long after the polls close at wkyc.com/elections. The statewide constitutional amendment would ban local governments from letting residents who aren't U.S. citizens vote in local elections. Not only would the measure raise the threshold for passage to a three-fifths majority, it also would put a much heavier burden on the process of gathering signatures to qualify citizen amendments for the ballot. Acceptable forms of identification are listed HERE. The 2022 general election saw 58.47% turnout more than three times the turnout in August. The Ohio Secretary of State's Office provide an interactive tool that allows Ohio voters to view sample ballots in their community, as well as review their voter registration and other information. But it has come back during the current legislative session in an even more restrictive fashion. At the outset of Wednesdays hearing, committee chair Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Washington Court House, admonished members and witnesses to stick the substance of the August election bills. State and local courts | If they succeed, they will need the support of 50 percent of voters plus one to make it part of the state constitution. LaRose recently told legislative leaders that election officials need 90 days to prepare, putting the deadline at May 10. But with an abortion amendment looking likely to appear on the November ballot, Republicans are pulling out all the stops . Rob Portman. Absentee ballots returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than the day before the election, which is Monday, May 2. poised to sail to another four years in office, about bail and what judges should take into consideration, whether cities should be allowed to give them to noncitizens, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. To that end, Rep. Richard Brown, D-Canal Winchester, asked Manchester if shed voted in any recent August elections. This job is the state's chief investigator. Remember, you are still permitted to vote as long as you're in line before the polls close at 7:30 p.m. RELATED: LIVE BLOG | Scanner issues reported at some polling places: Real-time updates. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with incisive investigative journalism, reporting on the consequences of policy, political insight and principled commentary. He and others have been calling the bluff of those pushing to raise the threshold to a three-fifths majority. }, The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, Phase 1: signatures equal to 3 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election are required to place the initiative before the. The goal, to support the local school board and urge them to put a new high school levy on the ballot in November. Forest Hills Local School District has a 6.9 mill tax levy on the ballot for general and permanent improvement purposes. DeSantis critical of China, hazy on Ukraine as he charts foreign policy path. The initiative was filed by Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) on July 27, 2021. Simple. Proponents of the abortion rights amendment, however, say those explanations are hollow and hypocritical. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers, and it's likely they will hold onto their majorities for the next two years. The Republican-backed effort consists of two interdependent prongs: House Joint Resolution 1 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 both propose to amend the state constitution to require a 60% vote to pass any and all future constitutional amendments a measure that would itself need to be approved by Ohioans in a statewide ballot initiative. The General Assembly created Portage County on June 9, 1808. The amendment could go to voters on a special election on Aug. 8, 2023. Whaley has focused on social issues, painting DeWine as extreme on abortion (he signed the state's 'heartbeat' law) and gun reform. If the first batch of signatures is determined to be insufficient, the petitioners are given a ten-day window to collect more signatures. For 111 years, Ohio voters have lived with a set of rules for amending their state constitution through citizen initiative. [9], As of March 2023, 21 states and Washington, D.C., legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, and 37 states and D.C. had legalized marijuana for medical purposes.[10]. text-align:center; There will not be an opportunity to be unaware of the fact that there is a statewide constitutional question on the ballot. Knox County Board of Elections. Rep. Susan Manchester, R-Waynesfield, however, argued back that low turnout isnt a forgone conclusion., Im proud to say that my district had the highest voter turnout in the entire state, and it was equal if not similar to what the turnout is during a November or May election. Manchester argued. Example video title will go here for this video. It also eliminates a rule that gives petitioners 10 days to gather more signatures if the secretary of state determines any are invalid. Another hearing for SJR2 and SB92 are scheduled for Wednesday. Our hopes were to get SJR 2 or HJR 1 to the ballot in May, but things didnt work out in time, Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, argued. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. It's a big ballot, and we break down all of iton this week's episode ofOhioPolitics Explained. You can download it here: A live blog on WKYC.com with real-time updates that kicks off Tuesday morning and will carry updated details throughout election day and into Wednesday morning. Since the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion last year in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization and as Republican-controlled state legislatures have enacted or are considering restrictive abortion laws, proponents of abortion rights have turned to state constitutions to preserve such access. "There's a lot of counting noses going on.". Obviously, some folks want to make this all about abortion. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Signatures are collected in two phases for indirect initiatives: Ohio also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures be gathered from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. You need to have a form of ID with you to cast a ballot on election day. Click here to view our 2023 Hubbard, OH Election Guide where you can find information and links regarding absentee . The measure was approved . } It would take 413,446 valid signatures gathered by July 5 to place issue on the November ballot. Once the information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, your ballot will be counted. What are the races that impact you? Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. RELATED: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says more than 100,000 people have voted early in May primary election. With Sen. USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Jessie Balmert contributed. The May 3 primary election has multiple big races on the ballot, including the Ohio governor battle to the U.S. Senate contest to replace retiring Sen. Return ballot by mail - Postmarked no later than May 1, 2023 and Received at Board of Elections by May 6, 2023. Many of those same individuals and groups testified Tuesday afternoon in opposition of SJR2, which was amended during the hearing to be exactly the same as HJR1.