Ohio Republicans bet voters would dilute their own power. They lost

Referendum shows concerns over abortion access remain a powerful force in American politics

When Ohio Republicans decided to rush a constitutional amendment on to the statewide ballot this year, they made a big bet.

They bet that turnout would be low in an election held in the middle of the summer (it was just 8% in last year's August contest). They bet that voters in the state, which voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, would willingly dilute their own political power, raising the threshold to pass constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. And they bet that voters would embrace such an idea knowing that a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall would protect abortion rights.