Ohio Republicans approve August election that could thwart abortion-rights push in state

Ohio voters will decide this summer whether to make it more difficult to change the state’s constitution – only months before a potential ballot measure in November over whether to guarantee abortion rights in the state.

Ohio’s Republican-controlled legislature this week approved a resolution that will ask voters in August to increase the threshold needed to change the constitution from a simple majority to 60%. It also would require backers of ballot initiatives to get signatures from voters in all of Ohio’s 88 counties – rather than current 44 – to place something on the ballot.