2023-2024 From Busy Elections to a New Ballot Initiative

 

This has certainly been an exciting and, for the league, busy election season. First, voters defeated the self-serving special August election issue, which would have made changing the Ohio Constitution much more difficult; thereby removing the last remaining tool the public has to reign in the gerrymandered Ohio General Assembly. We worked along with lots of community partners to make sure the issue failed.  

 

Second, the August election result showed itself in the November general election with the passage, by a substantial majority, of the women’s health initiative (Art. I, Sec. 22 The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety), returning abortion in Ohio to its Roe v Wade status and ensuring protections for contraception, miscarriage care, fertility treatment and pregnancy care for women. The League’s role in that effort was to serve as a non-aligned source of vital, true information to refute the misinformation and disinformation surrounding that issue. 

 

In addition, we did all our usual work for elections: providing information to voters through the local voters' guide published on Vote411.org; appearances at meetings and before groups; and registering new and lapsed voters throughout the county at some 40 events and sites. We (you, all of us) were very busy. 

 

Now that those two elections are history, we don’t have time to rest on our laurels. We are part of the Citizens not Politicians Coalition, a coalition of good government groups and concerned citizens determined to take on gerrymandering by adding an amendment to the Ohio Constitution. Passage of the amendment would establish an independent redistricting commission. Think of that!! 

 

To get on the 2024 General Election Ballot, we need to collect well over 400,000 signatures from Ohio voters throughout the state. You are needed! Are you willing? There are training sessions for signature collection both via Zoom and in person, as well as strategy sessions to make sure we are everywhere getting those signatures. Nancy Gurney is taking the league lead on this effort, contact her,  let us know what you are willing to do and sign up for a training session. The petition books are here, as soon as you are trained you can get one or more and start collecting. Here's Nancy’s email voterservices@lwvtoledo-lucascounty.org and phone number 419/702-7040.  Remember, this is what democracy is all about.