Ohio's big vote to save democracy

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     August 8, 2023 Today, voters in Ohio have been at the polls for a special election on "Issue 1." This might sound like a "blandly named" local ballot initiative, but as my colleague Ari Berman [writes](, it is a vital vote on the future of abortion and democracy in the state. If passed, Issue 1 would severely limit nearly all future initiatives by adding onerous new requirements. Changes to the state constitution would have to pass by at least 60 percent. And "to place an initiative on the ballot, organizers would have to gather signatures from 5 percent of voters in all of the state’s 88 counties," Ari explains. Currently, an initiative only needs voters from 44 counties. That means under the new rules Ohio’s smallest county, representing just 0.1 percent of the state’s population, could block a measure. This all has a purpose: making it harder for a future abortion measure to pass. After the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, states had latitude to restrict abortion like never before. In response, Ohioans began working toward putting the right to abortion in the state constitution. The plan is for a [fall ballot measure](. Issue 1 is an end run. If it passes now, it can make it a harder playing field for the abortion ballot initiative. Early voting is [off the charts](. We'll have to wait for the final results tonight, but voter mobilization is a sign the ploy might backfire for Republicans. For decades, abortion was an issue that some on the left felt should be avoided. "Democrats played defense on abortion for so long," Linda Greenhouse recently [noted]( in the New York Times (mentioning "the apologetic Clinton-era mantra 'safe, legal and rare'") that it "became part of the Democratic DNA." This pose even held after Trump's win in 2020. Former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill famously [said]( on MSNBC that the party must refocus on so-called pocketbook issues over "social issues" like "the right to abortion in this country or things like gay marriage." This always [ignored]( the very real impacts of these "social issues." After Dobbs, Democrats were forced to remake this logic. In the 2022 midterms, an emphasis on abortion, and the life-and-death consequences of bans, was vital to stopping a red wave. Democrats paired abortion and democracy at the [heart of a message about freedom](. The Issue 1 vote is another example of how the two are linked. Plus, it's worth keeping in mind the money at play. Ari's article also delves into the role of Richard Uihlein, a right-wing donor who has spent millions pushing for Issue 1. You can read his breakdown of those money interests [here](. —Jacob Rosenberg Advertisement [“A powerful and accessible book.” —Willy and Jo Lorenz, writers and co founders of the Progressivists]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The GOP’s Stealth Plan to End Direct Democracy in Ohio]( Republicans are trying to make it harder to pass ballot initiatives to block abortion rights and protect gerrymandering. BY ARI BERMAN FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store Are you a Mother Funder? If you are, buy the shirt as well! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Low-income Puerto Ricans to get $450 million for rooftop solar]( BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA   [One politician stopped California’s fossil fuels divestment—again]( BY AARON CANTÚ   [Authors like me are fighting the book-ban zealots. We need help.]( BY DASHKA SLATER   [DeSantis and Newsom: A debate no one asked for is happening]( BY INAE OH Advertisement [“A powerful and accessible book.” —Willy and Jo Lorenz, writers and co founders of the Progressivists]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [She’s a Prophet. She’s a Theocrat. She’s the Most Powerful Lobbyist You’ve Never Heard Of.]( The Christian far right has a road map—and one woman's at the wheel. BY EMILY HOFSTAEDTER [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755