Ohio voters are set to decide on a constitutional amendment, known as Issue 1, that could potentially reshape reproductive rights in the state. The amendment guarantees an individual's right to make their own reproductive decisions, up to the point of fetal viability outside the pregnant person's body. This initiative has sparked a significant debate among voters, with some arguing that it goes too far in either direction.
The amendment has drawn attention from national groups and over $60 million in combined spending. Supporters include Democrats, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and a bipartisan coalition of labor, faith, and community groups. On the other hand, opponents, including state Republicans and Ohio Right to Life, argue the amendment provides too much access to abortion and does so too late into pregnancy.
Recent polling indicates that the amendment has a good chance of passing. The poll found that 68% agreed with the amendment as described by the League of Women Voters, but this number shrank to 52% when respondents were asked about the language that will actually be on the ballot. However, 65% of respondents think that abortion should be legal in most circumstances and 57% believed the Supreme Court shouldn’t have overturned Roe v Wade.
The battleground on abortion shifted to the states last summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision, erasing federal abortion protections. Since then, voters in six states have either supported measures protecting abortion rights or rejected efforts aimed at eroding access. The outcome of this amendment could drastically reshape reproductive rights in Ohio, where Republican leaders have proposed legislation to completely ban abortion post-Roe.