President of the Ohio AFL-CIO Tim Burga, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss updates on Ohio State Issue 1 and the issues created by the special election.
Ohio will hold a special election for State Issue 1, the bill that is trying to raise amendment approval requirements from a simple majority to a 60 percent majority vote. This election is being held on Aug 8, with voting starting July 11. The four living former governors of Ohio and five retired Ohio Attorney Generals have spoken out against the bill, and believe it harms democracy in the state. Burga and the Ohio AFL-CIO have begun a campaign to “Vote No in August” in order to get the news out about the special election and get more residents out to the polls to voice their opinion on the bill.
There have been many complaints about the way the bill has been written, including two lawsuits filed with the Ohio Supreme Court. The first lawsuit focuses on the incorrect wording used in the bill’s description, supposedly misrepresenting what the bill is. The second lawsuit focuses on the mistakes within the bill that outline the current processes for collecting signatures in some counties that are actually incorrectly documented. Burga believes the Supreme Court will have rulings on both lawsuits soon, in order to get ready for the special election beginning July 11.
The special election creates a number of different issues, Burga said. He mentioned there has been a change in the documents needed to register for the special election. Not only do residents need to separately register for the special election, they also must bring more documents to prove their identity when they go to register. Burga added that many polling places are finding it difficult to find staff and equipment in time for the election, posing a potentially larger risk for voter turnout if polling areas won’t be open.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.