Unless you were living under a large rock lately, then you probably heard about the recent changes proposed to the Ohio constitutional amendment process. In short, the new proposals would make voting for law changes quite different. For instance, this would mean the minority would have more power compared to the majority vote, with no cure period. Here’s exactly how it would work.

Under the current system, a win is achieved by having 50% of a vote plus one. Under new rules, a win would be achieved by needing 60% of the votes. Secondly, it takes 44 county signatures to get to ballot. Under the proposed new rules, it would take all 88 counties to get to ballot. Theoretically, a mere one county could block it. Lastly, there would be no cure period for invalid signatures. This would mean petitioners would have to start again from scratch. The graphic below probably shows this in better detail than we can offer.

Not everyone was happy with the proposed changes, with one person writing “While I could be persuaded to raise the bar on passing amendments, I think it should be easier for citizens to get things on the ballot in the first place, not much harder. Let the people have their say on more issues, not fewer.” Whereas someone else thought differently and said, “We way over emphasize the minority when it comes to governance/legislation/voting in this country. Laws should protect the minority (it’s called the bill of rights), but they should not be able to hamstring the entire country.”

Ultimately, we shall see what the people decide on. However, if the changes are made then it will be a historic moment for Ohio – for better or for worse.