· August 3, 2011

Taft as Secretary of State agrees “no” means “no”

Here’s what former Governor Taft had to say about referendums in 1997 when he was serving as Secretary of State: “I might add for the benefit of everybody here today and the public that the legal staff of Mr. Bender has researched the issue in general of how a referendum petition should be structured in terms of a yes-or-no vote, and it’s pretty clear from the language of the Constitution and also from precedent, the way in which referendums were previously placed on the ballot, that the issue before the voters is: shall the law be approved? “So if you are in favor of the law, then you vote “yes”.   If you’re not in favor of the law, then you vote “no”. [Emphasis added]  And I’m sure that there will be a lot of discussion between now and Election Day about this particular point; but just to emphasize it one last time, people are not voting on whether the referendum that seeks to appeal the law who should adopted.  They’re voting on whether or not the law itself shall be approved.”