Vote No on Issue 1

Dear Editor,

Intelligent citizens who desire Freedom, Independence, and Liberty will vote NO on Issue 1 in the next election on August 8, 2023. Why?

Issue 1 was concocted by some of our state legislators to permit a minority of voters in Ohio to dominate the majority of Ohio voters.

Issue 1 is all about being able to change the Ohio State Constitution. Issue 1 has become nonpartisan With the past governors, Bob Taft, Dick Celeste, John Kasich, and Ted Strickland plus the former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Maureen O’Connor, all making statements against Issue 1.

Presently, 5% of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election can sign a petition in 44 (half of the 88 counties in Ohio) to have a proposed Amendment to our state Constitution placed on the ballot in the next election. The proposed Amendment would not become part of the Constitution unless a majority of the people throughout the state voted to approve it.

If Issue 1 passes at the August 8 election, the law would change to requiring a proposed Amendment to the Constitution petition by the citizens to have 5% of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election in each of the 88 counties of Ohio rather than the current requirement of 44 counties. Each signature on the petition would have to be identical to the signature of the voter as he/she signed at the time of voter registration. No grace period would be permitted to correct any mistakes a voter may have made in an honest attempt to sign a petition correctly.

Some citizens have stated that the Constitution should be difficult to change. However, the present process of changing the Constitution is not easily accomplished. Obtaining 5% of the voters‘ exact signatures in a county does not sound difficult, but in all 88 counties it would be virtually impossible.

Presently, if a proposed Amendment is on the ballot, the Amendment becomes law with the approval of 50% of the voters. This is the usual procedure for most organizations in the USA including FFA or any other school club, 4H clubs, Boy or Girl Scouts, city meetings, political party meetings, etc. With the passage of Issue 1, a vote of 60% approval in an election would be required to add an Amendment to our Ohio Constitution. This would mean that 40% of the voters would be able to block the passage of any future Amendment desired by a majority of the voters! I think this would be undemocratic and opposite to the American values of the simple majority rule we have enjoyed for over 240 years. Please vote NO on Issue 1.

Thanks for allowing me to express my opinion,

C. Leon Knore, PhD,

Greenville