Special election turnout over 38%
An Ohio special election turnout rate of 38% is higher than in any primary since 2016, and far exceeds the turnout at the May 2022 primary for statewide elections (including Governor and US Senator), which was less than 21%. The Columbus Dispatch reports that the extraordinary turnout took place in rural and urban counties alike, ranging from 30-40%. Early voting and absentee votes tallied by Aug. 9 totaled 652,000, more than four times the early votes in last August’s primary for Ohio House and Senate candidates. Haley BeMiller and Dan Horn of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Issue 1 won lower support in Republican majority counties than former President Donald Trump. (See an interactive county map from the Ohio Capitol Journal) Fifteen of the 22 counties that voted no on Issue 1 voted for Donald Trump in 2020.
Former Ohio Attorney General and Auditor Betty Montgomery opposed Issue 1 and supports a non-partisan redistricting process, as does former Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “I was so pleased on so many levels. We had a sleeping giant awakened. We have had an electorate for the last few years that has essentially not been engaged in government. It became engaged in government last night, and it was good to see. Take a look at a lot of the issues that have been passed by the General Assembly. I don’t think the public feels it was listened to on many of the issues.”
Issue 1 was defeated in 22 counties. In the eight Ohioan urban counties, 65.38% of voters voted “no” on State Issue One. For the seven suburban counties, 55.23% voted no and 44.7% voted yes. The remaining rural counties voted 38.67% against the measure while 61.33% were in favor. (Seven rural counties voted no: Portage, Trumbull, Erie, Geauga, Ashtabula, Ottawa, and Greene. Athens County defeated it with 70.67% voting no.) Read more.
Ohio’s flip from an eight-point Trump victory to a 14-point Issue 1 defeat represented a 22-point swing, and it suggests that a bipartisan coalition of voters formed to defeat it.
Several counties that voted to elect Trump in 2020 voted against State Issue in 2023.
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com
