Ohio abortion rights proposal one step closer to landing on the ballot

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) - The Ohio Attorney General’s office announced Thursday it has certified the summary of a petition from reproductive rights groups to get a constitutional amendment guaranteeing Ohioans’ rights to an abortion on the fall ballot.

The proposal from the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights calls for establishing “a fundamental right to reproductive freedom” for Ohioans. The language is similar to a Michigan constitutional amendment approved by voters there in November.

Yost’s office said the proposal will head to the Ohio Ballot Board next to determine whether it contains a single constitutional amendment or more than one. If approved, the petitioners must collect signatures from voters equal to or at least 10% of the vote cast in the 2022 midterm election. The signatures need to come from voters in at least half of Ohio’s counties and in each of those counties, the number of signatures must equal at least 5% of the vote cast in the November election.

The state Secretary of State’s Office will then need to verify the signatures at least 65 days ahead of the election for the proposed amendment to appear on the ballot.

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