In case you missed it, HuffPost reported that late last week the Ohio Ballot Board led by Ohio Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Frank LaRose, “approved anti-choice language to be used in the initiative, which may confuse voters.” LaRose proposed the language changes and was the deciding vote. The new language uses “unborn child” instead of “fetus.” “It does not include any language about the right to make decisions about miscarriages, fertility treatments or contraception — even though that’s a significant part of the proposed amendment.”
“Election after election, voters have smacked down attempts by the GOP to roll back abortion rights so now they are trying to manipulate and change the game–and Frank LaRose was just caught red-handed,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Sarah Abel.
This isn’t the first time LaRose has used his position to help himself and his political allies and try to circumvent the upcoming election on abortion rights in November. LaRose “selectively applied the rules around Ohio law to benefit Issue 1 supporters” ahead of the failed August vote.
Read the full report below.
HuffPo: Ohio Republicans Twist Ballot Language For Pro-Choice Provision In Likely Attempt To Confuse Voters
By Alanna Vagianos | August 25, 2023
Key Points:
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Republicans in Ohio are still trying to pass their anti-choice agenda, even after voters in the state successfully thwarted a ballot initiative earlier this month that would have made it harder to pass a pro-choice constitutional amendment this fall.
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In November, voters will consider a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine abortion rights and other reproductive freedoms into Ohio’s Constitution. But the five-member Ohio Ballot Board, led by anti-choice advocate and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, on Thursday approved anti-choice language to be used in the initiative, which may confuse voters.
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The approved summary language uses “unborn child” instead of “fetus.” It does not include any language about the right to make decisions about miscarriages, fertility treatments or contraception — even though that’s a significant part of the proposed amendment. The approved summary language is also longer than the original supplied by pro-choice organizations behind the initiative, meaning the board can’t argue it needed to trim the summary that would appear on ballots.
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LaRose did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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Pro-choice advocates are calling the language intentionally vague and misleading.
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LaRose gave the deciding vote to approve the language in a 3-2 final vote. The Ohio secretary of state was a vocal advocate for the August ballot measure, Issue 1 ― an initiative to raise the threshold for altering the state constitution from a simple statewide majority vote to 60%. Although a simple majority has been the standard in Ohio for over 100 years, anti-abortion advocates in the state called for a special election to raise the vote threshold in a preemptive attempt to block the pro-choice constitutional amendment.
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The summary language created by LaRose and the rest of the ballot board does not change the meaning or intent of the actual constitutional amendment. The full text of the amendment will be available at boards of elections on voting day, and LaRose told the Ohio Capital-Journal that posters including the full text will be available at polling locations. But only the summary will be on the ballots Ohioans take into voting booths.
Published: Aug 28, 2023 | Last Modified: Sep 5, 2023