Early voting on Issue 1 surges in Ohio, fueled by campaign pushes on both sides
With just a week and a half until the highly contested Aug. 8 election on Issue 1, there has been a surge in early voting across Ohio.
This past week, Ohioans cast over 200,000 early votes. 115,000 of those were cast in-person, while 85,000 came from mail-in ballots. In total, 355,483 Ohioans have voted on Issue 1 since early voting began on July 11.
The first few weeks of early voting already surpassed many officials' expectations for voter turnout. While many were concerned that the initial surge in early in-person votes would fizzle out, data from the Secretary of State's office shows that the number of early voters per day has increased. The past few days have seen over 19,000 early in-person votes per day across the state, compared with around 16,000 per day in the first 10 days of early voting.
VOTER INFORMATION: Everything you need to know about Ohio Issue 1 and the August special election
On July 24, some 20,573 Ohioans voted early. For comparison, the first day of early voting saw just under 15,000 votes statewide.
Voters have also returned more absentee ballots per day as Election Day draws closer. Statewide data from early this week shows over 13,000 absentee ballots are coming per day.
Aaron Ockerman, executive director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, said the continued turnout has been "fantastic."
"I would attribute that to the campaigns really firing up, and getting those mailers out there," he said. "Turnout is driven by issues and candidates, and the level of interest that voters are showing in those issues."
What would Issue 1 do?
The proposal, if approved, would require 60% of voters to pass a new constitutional amendment, instead of a simple majority of 50% plus one. It also would:
Require citizens who want to place an amendment on the ballot to collect signatures from at least 5% of voters from the last gubernatorial election in all 88 counties, instead of the current 44.
Eliminate a 10-day cure period that allows citizens to replace any signatures deemed faulty by the secretary of state's office.
Campaign spending driving turnout, but uncertainty remains for Election Day
Continued campaign spending has also been a big reason why Ohioans are getting out the vote. Ockerman said advocates on both sides of Issue 1 have been pushing voters to cast their ballots early.
Campaign finance reports recently revealed that groups on both sides of Issue 1 have received millions in funding from out-of-state groups. While both sides have been spending vast amounts, One Person One Vote on the 'no' side has massively outspent its opponents.
Local groups have also been campaigning heavily, including the League of Women Voters of Ohio. While the group opposes Issue 1, Executive Director Jen Miller says they've been centering their efforts around nonpartisan education and breaking down election logistics for voters not used to voting in August.
"We’re always really excited when Ohioans get out and vote," Miller said. "This is such a major issue, that it's my sincere hope that the numbers will continue to increase."
More: Who's funding the Ohio Issue 1 campaigns? Donors from Illinois, D.C. and California
Ohio hasn't held a statewide August election since 1926, making it hard to set expectations for turnout. When the election was first approved in May, many expressed concerns that a summer election would lead to extremely low turnout. Early projections left election officials across the state "scratching (their) heads," Ockerman said in early July.
Voter turnout has continued to outpace benchmarks from the May 2022 election, which saw interest in primaries for governor and U.S. Senate. But Ockerman said that "without that historical context to look at, I think (the Ohio Association of Election Officials) is not sure whether the momentum will continue."
And whether the surge will continue and drive high turnout for Election Day is "a million dollar question," he said.
"We've seen it go both ways during the COVID years," Ockerman said. "Sometimes, you saw this massive early vote by mail and in-person, and then you saw... a smaller Election Day vote. But we've also seen where people showed up early and continued through Election Day."
Election outcome hard to forecast
While voter turnout is looking up, many are still unsure whether or not Issue 1 will pass or fail.
A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll saw 57% of respondents oppose Issue 1.
An Ohio Northern University poll reported that the numbers are much closer, with support for Issue 1 having a slight 42-41 edge and 17% of respondents remaining undecided. The web-only ONU poll surveyed 675 likely voters and had a 3.7% margin of error.
The issue has attracted national attention, largely because of its potential implications for reproductive rights. If Issue 1 goes into effect, it would make it harder for a constitutional amendment that would protect abortion rights to pass this November. Officials confirmed Tuesday that the abortion rights amendment will be on the November ballots.
According to the USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll, support for the amendment is currently polling at 58% — just below the 60% threshold that Issue 1 would impose.
Early voting hours
You can vote early for the August election at your county board of elections office.
The hours for in-person early voting are:
July 31: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
August 1: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
August 2-4: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
August 5: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
August 6: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Issue 1: Everything you need to know about Ohio Issue 1 and the August special election
LCarey@Dispatch.com
@LilyLCarey
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Issue 1 early in-person, absentee voting surges ahead of August 8
