Ohio voters have approved Issue 1, an amendment that establishes the constitutional right to abortion in the state.
The Associated Press called the vote at 9:03 p.m.
With 31 percent of the vote counted, 77 percent of voters in Cuyahoga County voted yes. According to the New York Times, support for Issue 1 in Cuyahoga County was the highest in the state. Franklin County was second with 76 percent of voters in support with 56 percent of votes counted.
Ohio is the seventh state to establish a constitutional right to abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade June 24, 2022.
Ohio voters defeated a related measure, also called Issue 1, in a special election held Aug. 8. If approved, that measure would have required that any proposed amendment to the state constitution receive the approval of at least 60 percent of voters, rather than the existing +51 percent.
The August issue, widely considered to be a Republican effort to prevent passage of Issue 1 today, was defeated, 77 to 23 percent. Shaker Heights voters rejected it more soundly; 7 percent (827 voters) approved the amendment, while 93 percent (11,336 voters) rejected it.
