Ohio Issue 1 would make several changes to the state’s citizen-initiated constitutional amendment process. These changes include requiring a 60% vote for amendments, increasing the signature distribution requirement, and eliminating the signature cure period.
Yesterday, we reviewed one of these changes—the 60% vote threshold—within the context of other states and historical ballot measures. Today’s article compares Ohio’s current and proposed signature distribution requirements to those of other states and the legal landscape surrounding distribution requirements.
A signature distribution requirement, also known as a geographic signature requirement, is a law that provides that ballot initiative petitions must be signed by voters from multiple political subdivisions, such as counties or legislative districts, in order for the initiative to qualify for the ballot.
