Ohio officials consider pro-abortion groups’ ballot proposal

If approved, a ballot issue in November would ask Ohio voters to enshrine access to abortion in the state constitution. The proposal was submitted Tuesday by two pro-abortion groups. Ohio Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou called the amendment “wildly” misaligned with the state’s values. Ohio Right to Life spokeswoman Elizabeth Marbach said the ballot initiative’s language is “extremely vague” and dangerous.

How will the measure be processed? Ohio’s Republican Attorney General Dave Yost must first approve the summary of the amendment. Then, the Ohio Ballot Board must determine that the proposal includes only one constitutional amendment to approve. Then it will be sent to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, also a Republican. If LaRose approves, the petitioners will be allowed to start collecting signatures. The pro-abortion petitioners need over 413,000 signatures by the start of July for the proposal to make it on ballots in November.

Dig Deeper: Read Rebeccah L. Heinrichs’ column in WORLD Opinions about how the Biden administration uses U.S. power to impose abortion on a life-affirming country.