By Megan Alley, Sun Editor
Voters in Ohio went to the polls on Aug. 8 for a special election. On the ballot was “State Issue 1 Elevating the Standards to Qualify for an Initiated Constitutional Amendment and to Pass a Constitutional Amendment.”
Statewide, as of press time, the issue was projected to fail.
According to the unofficial election results from the Ohio Secretary of State, by 10:43 p.m. on Aug. 8, a total of 2,826,089 votes were cast; statewide, 1,598,364 voters, or 56.56 percent, voted ‘No’ on the issue, and 1,227,725 voters, or 43.44 percent, voted ‘Yes.’
According to the unofficial election results from the Clermont County Board of Elections, in Clermont County, a total of 57,268 votes were cast; voter turnout in the county was 39.59 percent. In Clermont County, 31,108 voters, or 54.32 percent, voted ‘Yes’ on the issue, and 26,160 voters, or 45.68 percent voted ‘No.’
If passed, the proposed amendment would have:Required that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60 percent of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.
Required that any initiative petition filed on or after January 1, 2024 with the Secretary of State proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio be signed by at least five percent of the electors of each county based on the total vote in the county for governor in the last preceding election.
Specified that additional signatures may be added to an initiative petition proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio that is filed with the Secretary of State on or after January 1, 2024 proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
If passed, the amendment would have been effective immediately.