Issue 1 is not a left or right decision to make. 

Voting “Yes” on Issue 1 will set a new standard for all Ohioans. That new standard will declare that our Constitution is not for sale. 

Currently, only 44 counties are required to meet the signature threshold on a petition to place a Constitutional amendment issue on the statewide ballot. Voting “Yes” on Issue 1 will require that all 88 Ohio counties must meet the signature threshold. This will set a new standard. 

Passing Issue 1 in the Special Election on Aug. 8 will enfranchise all Ohioans. If Issue 1 passes, then all of “We the People” in Ohio can decide whether to sign a petition proposing a Constitutional Amendment for our state.

Amending the Ohio Constitution is one of the most important efforts our citizenry can undertake. And 100 percent of them must be asked to consider amending it, not just half the citizenry. 

Also, if Issue 1 passes, all future Amendments proposed to Ohio’s Constitution will then require 60 percent of Ohio’s eligible voters for them to pass. Voting “Yes” on Issue 1 will indeed set new standards for Ohioans — standards that are not just for those special interests on the left or the right, or for those who reside in only half the counties, but for all Ohioans.

Bronwyn Jameson

Avon Lake