WASHINGTON, Aug 9, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Voters in Ohio on Tuesday rejected a proposal that would have made amending the state's constitution more difficult, US media projected, in a case viewed nationwide as a test of conservatives' power to oppose liberal causes such as abortion rights.

The "Issue 1" special election -- which united anti-abortion groups with opponents of a minimum wage hike -- was centered on proposals to increase the bar to pass constitutional amendments to 60 percent of the vote from a simple majority.

Tuesday's vote was seen as an attempt to thwart a referendum scheduled for November on codifying abortion rights into Ohio's constitution.
The issue itself only needed a simple majority to pass.

By about 10 pm Tuesday evening (0200 GMT), the "no" position to reject Issue 1 had about 57 percent of the vote, with 60 percent of votes counted, the USA Today newspaper network projected.

US cable network CNN also projected the referendum would fail.

"Today, Ohio voters rejected an effort by Republican lawmakers and special interests to change the state's constitutional amendment process," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

"This measure was a blatant attempt to weaken voters' voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions.

Ohioans spoke loud and clear, and tonight democracy won," he added.
Abortion rights activists also cheered the outcome.

"Great news! Ohioans showed up to the polls and rejected the opposition's attempts to undermine democracy and restrict reproductive freedom," head of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson posted on Twitter, rebranded as X.

"Abortion is on the ballot this November. Mark your calendars now, Ohio!" she added.

Republicans were looking to replicate the Issue 1 strategy in other states if Tuesday's vote had been successful. US media has reported spending from mostly out-of-state political groups on both sides totaling around $35 million.

After the 2022 Supreme Court decision ending nationwide protection for abortion rights, Ohio introduced a six-week ban that has been held up in the courts.

But 58 percent of likely Ohio voters support enshrining abortion rights in the constitution, according to polls released last month by USA Today/Suffolk University and in June by Scripps News/YouGov.

The League of Women Voters of Ohio called the referendum measure, proposed by Ohio's Republican-controlled legislature, an "attempt to strip away the power of everyday people."

Business groups came out in support of Issue 1 because it would complicate future attempts at raising the minimum wage, with a referendum already scheduled for November 2024 on an increase from $10.10 an hour to $15.

"Ohio's constitution is the bedrock of our system of government and should not be subject to changes based on fleeting public opinion," the state's chamber of commerce said in a joint statement with other national and local business groups.

"For far too long, the Ohio constitution has been an easy target for those seeking to enact anti-business policies or further narrow special interest initiatives outside of the traditional legislative process."

A special election at the height of summer would normally attract a relatively low turnout, but nearly 600,000 Ohioans had already voted early by the end of last week, according to the Columbus Dispatch. There were fewer than 150,000 early votes for an August special election last year.

Last year, voters in Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan voted to protect abortion rights by a simple majority. None of the votes achieved 60 percent support, however.