Voters in Ohio approved Issue 1 on Nov. 7, 2023. Issue 1 provided a state constitutional right to abortion, among other reproductive matters. The vote was 56.62% ‘Yes’ to 43.38% ‘No’.
Ohio Issue 1 is the fourth ballot measure to provide a state constitutional right to abortion. In 2022, voters in three other states—California, Michigan, and Vermont—approved ballot measures. These votes followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which found there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.
In Nov. 2024, voters in New York and Maryland will decide on ballot measures to establish state constitutional rights to abortion. There are also proposed ballot measures related to abortion policies in at least nine other states. There are active ballot initiative campaigns in five states—Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, and South Dakota—to provide state constitutional rights to abortion.
