MicroWaveAug 9, 2023

Voters in Ohio reject GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights

https://lemmy.world/post/2914041

Voters in Ohio reject GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights - Lemmy.world

Ohio voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution, setting up a fall campaign that will become the nation’s latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nationwide protections last year.

Show threadrealcaseyrollinsAug 9, 2023

  • This isn't just about abortion, I don't get why all the headlines are focusing on that

  • It's really hard to see why this is a partisan issue, "let's make it hard to change the constitution" doesn't really sound like an inherently right-wing position.

    • Show threadcaptainlezbianAug 9, 2023
    Because it was pushed through as an august election not long after august elections were banned (due to high cost and low turnout), but almost immediately after legalizing abortion wound up on the November ballot. Sure it’s about more than abortion, but it’s also very much about abortion, otherwise it would’ve waited until November.
    Show threadsamsepi0lAug 9, 2023
    Hey! So I had just learned about the historically low turnout of August elections, but what is the high cost about?
    Show threadCaptDust

    The high cost comes from having to mobilize polling locations, poll workers, logistics for voting infrastructure, ya know, all the stuff that goes into making an election happen.

    Special elections like this need to have all the same setup as a general election, but since it’s focused around one (or a handful) of issues, AND the general election still has to take place in November, it’s pretty wasteful. I’ve seen the estimates are around $20-30 million to make a special election happen.

    Aug 9, 2023 at 6:14pmWeb
    Show threadsamsepi0lAug 10, 2023
    Cool, makes perfect sense. Thank you!