Nov. 7 (UPI) — Voters in many states around the country are casting ballots on divisive issues Tuesday, including in Ohio, where voters will determine whether abortion access will be protected in the state’s constitution.
The amendment on the ballot — Issue 1 — would enshrine the right to seek reproductive medical treatment, including an abortion. It would also bar the state from penalizing anyone who has an abortion or provides the treatment.
Ohio held a special election in August to raise the threshold required to approve constitutional amendments, but it failed. The measure would have raised the threshold for approval to 60%. Instead, Issue 1 needs a simple majority to pass.
To get Issue 1 on the ballot, supporters collected more than 400,000 signatures from more than half of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Also on the ballot is the legalization of recreational marijuana. Twenty-three states have legalized recreational use. If passed, Ohioans can legally possess and grow marijuana with some restrictions.
Meanwhile, Texas has 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot. One amendment, Proposition 3, would ban the imposition of so-called wealth taxes.
No state has such a tax, but Texas is attempting to get ahead of any proposals that would implement a tax based on the value of an individual or family’s assets, market value or net worth.
Another amendment would raise the mandatory and minimum age of retirement for state justices and judges. The minimum age would be raised from 70 to 75 while the mandatory retirement age would increase from 75 to 79 years old.
Boulder, Colo., voters are considering a ballot measure that would ask the city to prioritize the removal of tents, temporary structures and propane tanks that are within 500 feet of a school or 50 feet of a sidewalk. These items are often associated with people who are homeless.
Boulder has banned these items from parks and public spaces. Tuesday’s measure evokes similar actions considered by advocates for the homeless as criminalizing homelessness. The measure does not imply any sort of legal action will be taken against the unhoused.
Governors on ballot
Two gubernatorial races will be decided on Tuesday: Kentucky and Mississippi.
Democrat Andy Beshear, the incumbent in the largely conservative state of Kentucky, is facing Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron in what is expected to be a closely contested race.
Beshear was elected in 2019 by a small margin. Cameron is the first Black nominee for governor by Democrats or Republicans in Kentucky.
Mississippi will choose between Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, and Democrat Brandon Presley. The Democrat described himself as “pro-life” in an August campaign ad, saying “sometimes the family Bible is the only place you have to turn.”
Reeves also says he opposes abortion.
State assembly seats
Several states have many, if not all of their legislature seats on the ballot. All of the seats in Virginia and New Jersey’s general assemblies are up for grabs, with Republicans seeking to flip seats in both states.
Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been stumping for his party’s candidates for months as it attempts to flip the state Senate. Democrats hold a narrow majority. All 40 Senate seats and 100 House seats are on the ballot.
Youngkin has enacted several controversial policies affecting LGBTQ students in schools, including so-called bathroom bans and policies guiding participation in school activities for transgender youth.
He has also signaled that he will pursue a 15-week ban on abortion if he can get it through the House and Senate.
In New Jersey, Republicans need to flip six Democrat-held seats in the Senate and seven in the state assembly to win a majority. The state has supported Democrats for president in every election since 1992 and has favored Democrats for statewide office in recent years.
