Yesterday Ohio voters turned out in force to reject a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution. This was supposed to undermine the nation’s latest referendum on abortion rights by raising the number of voters needed to pass it, but it turns out voters don't really want to criminalize abortion. Via the Associated Press:

The defeat of Issue 1 keeps in place a simple majority threshold for passing future constitutional amendments, rather than the 60% supermajority that was proposed. Its supporters said the higher bar would protect the state’s foundational document from outside interest groups.

Voter opposition to the proposal was widespread, even spreading into traditionally Republican territory. In fact, in early returns, support for the measure fell far short of former President Donald Trump’s performance during the 2020 election in nearly every county.

Dennis Willard, a spokesperson for the opposition campaign One Person One Vote, called Issue 1 a “deceptive power grab” that was intended to diminish the influence of the state’s voters.

It's not over yet. As an abortion activist friend wrote last night:

Section B of the amendment has two paragraphs giving the State the right to impose some kinds of “standards” as long as they are not unduly restrictive.

Those two written paragraphs should have been left off. In my opinion as an abortion rights activist for five decades, those paragraphs give away too much. Because who will interpret whatever law which the amendment perhaps unwittingly has allowed the State to write and pass? The very right wing Ohio Supreme Court.

The pro abortion forces have to not only campaign FOR the abortion amendment to pass but AGAINST the Republican legislators who will try to ignore the amendment as much as they can get away with.