The Ohio Ballot Board approved the ballot title for a citizen-initiated measure to provide a state constitutional right to abortion and other reproductive matters. The initiated constitutional amendment will be on the ballot as Issue 1 on Nov. 7, 2023.
The Ohio Ballot Board voted 3-2 to reject including the entire text of the amendment on the ballot and instead adopted language from Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R). You can view the adopted ballot question here.
The language that voters will see on the ballot uses different words than the constitutional amendment, such as using unborn child instead of fetus. The constitutional amendment would provide that “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including” decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy. The ballot question includes reference to abortion but not other reproductive matters.
