| Innovation Ohio is thrilled to share our 2023 Annual Report with all of you. As a trusted voice in Ohio’s progressive community, our goal has always been to build and scale the essential elements of infrastructure, research, communication, and policy to defeat the extremist’s agenda and ensure a multi-cycle progressive comeback in Ohio. This year, we met the moment by creating a successful strategy for the 2023 election cycle. Securing victories at the ballot for democracy and reproductive freedom while also educating the public on new voting requirements. Our projects reached Ohioans in every corner of the state and showed the national strength of progressive causes and advocacy efforts. |
REPORT: A Justice Agenda – Ohio’s Missing Voters Part 2
By Terra Goodnight, Director of Research and Lily Furgeson, Communications and Research Associate
Innovation Ohio Education Fund (IOEF) announces the release of a part two sequel to the Ohio’s Missing Voters report. In the previous report, Innovation Ohio Education Fund announced that Ohio is home to 2M eligible to vote residents that are not registered and 700k inactive voters that are in danger of being purged. Recognizing that Ohio’s electorate is not as representative of its people as it could be.
In this report, our objective was to gain deeper insights into whether Ohio’s laws are worsening Ohio’s Missing Voters’ problem and how other states and their laws may offer a solution. Ohio has always played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s political direction, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen’s voice is heard in our democratic process. We compared voter turnout and voting policies in midwestern battleground states: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Looking at the last three federal General Elections, we found that Ohio consistently ranks at the bottom in voter turnout and provides the least voter-friendly policies.
About the August 8 Election
Ohioans will head to the polls on August 8 to vote on the question of how hard it should be to amend the state constitution through the citizen initiative process.
Despite eliminating August elections last year, Ohio lawmakers have changed course and scheduled a statewide vote on August 8 on a proposal that would make it harder for citizens to amend Ohio’s constitution by initiative petition.
The timing of the August special election was designed to get ahead of a vote on abortion rights later this year. Advocates filed over 700,000 signatures in July, placing an amendment on the ballot in November to protect the right to an abortion. Statehouse republicans now want to change the results of the game and require a 60% yes vote in order to influence the outcome of important policy decisions best left to voters
Here’s what you need to know about participating in the August election:
Get the Facts: Senate Joint Resolution 2
Ohio Senate Joint Resolution 2, a constitutional amendment proposal that would change the threshold for passing new amendments to the state constitution. If passed by the voters on August 8th, the amendment would increase the required vote to 60% of the electorate, up from the current simple majority threshold. This proposal has generated significant debate and discussion among Ohioans, with opinions divided on whether the higher threshold would help or hinder the democratic process.
To help voters understand the Facts vs. Myths in this important debate, Innovation Ohio has provided the following overview. Whether you’re a staunch supporter of the change or a skeptic of its effects, this overview will be a valuable resource for voters who want to make an informed decision at the ballot box.
SJR 2 Facts
SJR 2 are legislative proposals that would increase the votes required to enact new constitutional amendments to 60%, up from a simple majority (50% +1).
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation used to gain support for these proposals. Here are the facts.
Since 1912, 19 constitutional amendments have been intimated by citizens, while legislators have initiated a whopping 108. Since 2022, 14 of 19 originated in the legislature.
In reality, most citizen-proposed constitutional amendments fail. Since 1912, 69 constitutional amendments have been proposed, and only 19 have passed, making for a success rate of 27.5%.
There has also been an emphasis from backers of SJR2 on the influence of deep-pocketed special interests in amending Ohio’s constitution, but there is no correlation between the amount spent on a citizen ballot initiative and its chance of passing. Successful campaigns have actually spent less, on average, than the backers of failed campaigns.
$11.2 million is the average amount spent on successful citizen ballot measure, compared to an average of $16.7 million on failed citizen ballot measures.
- Washington requires 50%+1 except amendments about gambling and lottery laws require 60%
- Arizona requires 50%+1 except amendments that raise taxes or impose fees require 60%
- Illinois requires 60%; or a measure can pass with 50% of all votes cast in the election.
- Nevada requires a majority vote (50%+1) in two successive elections
- Oregon requires 50%+1 but 50% voter turnout in the election
- Massachusetts requires 50%+1 and 30% of those voting in that election
- Nebraska requires 50%+1 AND 35% of the total votes cast in that election
- Mississippi requires 50%+1 AND 40’% of the total votes cast in that election
- Wyoming requires 50%+1 AND 50% of the total votes cast in that election
Political power-grab advances in Ohio House/Senate
Despite public outcry, GOP advances HJR1/SJR2 to floor vote
COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President/CEO of Innovation Ohio condemned House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR1) and Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJR2), proposed constitutional amendments that increases the passage thresholds of new amendments to 60% of the vote, up from a simple majority.
“HJR1/SJR2 are blatant political power-grabs by special interests and corrupt politicians, which seeks to undermine our democracy and silence the voice of the people”, said Desiree Tims. “We stood with Ohioans from every corner of the state to stand up and provide opposition testimony to these bills. Today, our voices were cut short, cast-aside, and ignored. This is not how democracy is supposed to work,” said Desiree Tims. “It has become clear that the only supporters of these bills are out-of-state special interests and corrupt politicians.”
Innovation Ohio is one of 225 organizations that have signed on to oppose these bills. This united coalition represents millions of everyday Ohioans who do not want their vote diminished.
“These proposed amendments would shred our Constitution as we know it, end majority rule in Ohio, and take away our right to decide what happens here by undermining the sacred principle of ‘one person, one vote,” said Desiree Tims.
If these amendments are passed, they will undermine majority rule and give a small number of voters (just 40%) the power to block initiatives that a majority of Ohio voters support. Ohioans need to protect our freedom to determine our own future.
We call on Speaker Stephens to not advance HJR1/SJR2.
HB 458: Voter Suppression in Disguise
After hours on Friday, January 6, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 458 (HB 458) into law. While originally proposed in 2021 as a 15-page bill intended to eliminate most August special elections, the final 157-page version amended by House Republicans and enacted by DeWine, features an extensive list of alarming updates to Ohio’s election laws, including: a photo identification (ID) requirement for all voters, including provisional voters and those confined in Ohio jails or hospitals; the elimination of early voting on Mondays before Election Day and the six additional hours it provides voters to cast their ballots; a prohibition against a single 24/7 ballot drop box at county Boards of Elections (BOE); and the requirement that absentee ballots be requested sooner and received by BOEs by the close of polls on Election Day, regardless of their postmark date. Touted as an opportunity to promote election integrity, voting rights organizations across the state rightfully beg to differ.
In the days leading up to the passage of HB458, the Ohio Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Ohio branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), among other progressive organizations, protested the law’s failure to address the anticipated impact of this law on Ohio’s most vulnerable communities. According to Innovation Ohio’s President and CEO, Desiree Tims: “Experts tell us that as many as 11% of Ohio adults do not have a driver’s license or state ID card. Younger Ohioans are driving less, and many older and low-income Ohioans do not drive. That’s over 800,000 eligible adults who would have significant trouble voting under HB 458. If Governor DeWine values the freedom to vote and civil rights of Ohioans, then he will veto HB 458.”
Tim’s sentiments speak to the burden associated with obtaining a photo ID that will disproportionately fall upon poor, disabled and transient citizens that do not presently meet the requirements under HB 458; populations overrepresented by women and members of Black and immigrant communities. In practice, the cost of transportation to and from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) where IDs must be obtained, and the administrative hassle associated with compiling the documents necessary to present to BMV officials, will operate as a sort of poll tax, and thus deterrent, for those who historically were able to provide various alternatives to photo ID as proof of identity at polling locations. Recent developments have also confirmed that certain Veteran ID cards will also be excluded from those accepted at BOEs; disenfranchising the very citizens whose sacrifices make American democracy possible.
This past December, North Carolina’s Supreme Court struck down a voter ID law for its disparate impact on Black voters and proof of discriminatory intent. Hoping for a similar outcome, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans and Union Veterans Council filed suit against Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank Larose and the 88 BOEs that will enforce the law. Arguing that it “will severely restrict Ohioans’ access to the polls—particularly those voters who are young, elderly, and Black, as well as those serving in the military and others living abroad” and “imposes needless and discriminatory burdens on Ohioans’ fundamental right to vote” in violation of the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Plaintiffs are prepared to exhaust all legal remedies to protect Ohio voters.
Until the courts reach a resolution, advocates must focus on educating their constituents regarding these sudden changes to Ohio’s election law, name those responsible for its enactment and prepare for an ultimately unfavorable decision in light of the Ohio Supreme Court’s composition. In doing so, voters will be empowered to recognize their allies and dispel the myth that Ohio Republican’s obsession with election integrity is anything more than voter suppression in disguise.
Poll Finds Democrat Ryan Leading U.S. Senate Race
Contact: goodnight@innovationohio.org
Columbus, OH – A new poll from Innovation Ohio and GrowProgress shows that in the race for US Senate, Congressman Tim Ryan, the newly-minted Democratic nominee, is leading his Republican rival, venture capitalist JD Vance 43-41.
A memo on the results can be found on Innovation Ohio’s website.
The poll also found that in a state Trump won twice, Vance still lacks the support of more than 1 in 5 members of his own party. A bruising primary and a history of changing political positions – particularly his views on former President Trump – leave Vance with the support of just 78% of Republicans. Ryan, by contrast, picks up 91% of Democrats.
“As the race heads into the General Election, Tim Ryan is showing signs of strength and momentum against J.D. Vance.” said Innovation Ohio President Desiree Tims. “In a state where Trump won twice, Vance has yet to capture similar levels of support.”
“This race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the country,” Tims continued.
The poll showed Ryan holding substantial leads among women, black voters, younger voters (18-54) and those with a college degree. Vance, meanwhile, maintains an edge among white voters, those ages 55 and up and non-college voters.
These findings showing Vance’s weakness within his own party are consistent with new analysis by six political scientists that measured how GOP primary voters felt about different political figures. In the JD Vance received a rating of 59 out of 100 on a political “thermometer” scale measuring candidate favorability, compared to a score of 75 for Trump. Overall, the GOP is not as unified as Democrats heading into the General Election.
Founded in 2011, Innovation Ohio is a nonpartisan, nonprofit thank tank that blends policy research and advocacy to fight for working families in Ohio.
Grow Progress surveyed 2000 Ohio voters on April 25th through April 29th, just days before the primary. The survey’s margin of error is +/-2.5%.
Coronavirus crisis reinforces need for paid sick days during the outbreak — and in the future
This commentary on the need for paid sick leave originally appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal on March 18, 2020
Every day, working Ohioans need access to paid sick days to address short-term health conditions for both themselves and their families, and these needs are amplified during a public health crisis like the current COVID-19 outbreak.
The coronavirus has exposed vast shortfalls in our state’s social safety net programs, demonstrating the reality that many working people face on a regular basis: an impossible choice between their health and their paycheck.
As the spread of the virus continues, it reinforces the need for paid sick days to help the working people and families impacted during the outbreak — and for those needing to address short-term health conditions in the future.
Nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer.
Unfortunately, even without the strain of a pandemic, our broken caregiving systems fall short of providing families with the support they need to address their own health, or the health of a loved one, without risking their job or their paycheck.
The United States is one of few developed nations in the world without a guaranteed paid sick leave law, which leaves behind 1 in 4 U.S. workers, or more than 32 million people, without access to any paid sick days.
Low-wage and hourly workers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, are less likely to have access to paid sick days. In fact, nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer, exacerbating health and economic disparities facing lower-wage working people and their families.
Disparities can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms.
Paid sick days have been shown to reduce the spread of illness, and the policy would help contain the spread of coronavirus by allowing working people to stay home — without risking their jobs or their paycheck — if they are infected with the virus, need to care for a loved one with the virus, or need to stay home from work with children following school or childcare closures.
However, disparities in access can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms. This is particularly true for low-wage working people in the service industry (like those in restaurants, retail, childcare, and home healthcare); domestic workers (such as nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers); contract workers (also known as the gig economy); and part-time workers, who are less likely to have access to the policy.
Many of these workers are in high-contact positions, which can’t be done remotely, making it more difficult to contain the outbreak, and hitting low-wage workers harder.
In Congress, the U.S. House recently passed, with bipartisan support, a coronavirus economic relief package, which includes access to 14 days of paid sick leave for many working people. The bill also expands access to paid family and medical leave, a policy designed to help working people address the longer-term medical conditions for themselves or their family, something that will inevitably be brought on by the coronavirus.
Despite limitations in who is covered by the legislation, it would take important steps in extending crucial economic support to working people impacted by coronavirus.
The bill is currently sitting in the U.S. Senate awaiting action, delaying crucial support for impacted workers. Every day that this bill passage is held up, tens of millions working people in Ohio and across the country are left without any access to paid sick days or paid family leave, causing potentially devastating damage to their ability to support themselves and their families.
Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis
Here in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has demonstrated leadership on the national level with his swift action to enact sweeping health precautions and economic relief support for Ohioans affected by the virus, including changes to the state unemployment compensation system.
These changes will help support working people who are laid off, facing closures of their employers as a result of the coronavirus, or in mandatory quarantine.
However, the gaps in the state unemployment compensation policy leave, as well as the federal economic relief package still held up in Congress, leave behind many working Ohioans who will be impacted by this public health emergency.
Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis. In order to fully address the far-reaching health and economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak in Ohio, our state leaders must enact emergency paid sick days to ensure that working people are not forced to choose between their health and their economic security.
What is on the ballot in Ohio?
Find your complete sample ballot via the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
Did we miss anything? Email updates and corrections to info@innovationohio.org
Ohio Supreme Court
According to Ballotpedia, two Ohio Supreme Court seats are up for what is technically a nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. However, these candidates are selected through a partisan primary that is scheduled for March 17, 2020.
Seat One
| Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|
| Jennifer L. Brunner | Judith French (incumbent) |
Seat Two
| Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|
| John P. O’Donnell | Sharon L. Kennedy (incumbent) |
Ohio Senate
See the full list of races
Ohio House
See the full list of races
Congress
See the full list of races
Presidential
| Party | Candidate |
|---|---|
| R | Donald J. Trump |
| D | Corey Booker (dropped out) |
| D | Pete Buttigieg (dropped out) |
| D | Tulsi Gabbard (dropped out) |
| D | Amy Klobuchar (dropped out) |
| D | Deval Patrick (dropped out) |
| D | Bernie Sanders |
| D | Tom Steyer (dropped out) |
| D | Elizabeth Warren (dropped out) |
| D | Michael Bennet (dropped out) |
| D | Joseph R. Biden |
| D | Michael R. Bloomberg (dropped out) |
Ballot initiatives
The campaigns behind these initiatives are strategizing to be on the General Election ballot on November 3, 2020. These issues will not appear on Ohio’s primary ballot.
Ohioans For Secure And Fair Elections
The proposal: A Constitutional amendment to expand voting rights by creating automatic voter registration, same-day registration, expanded early voting opportunities and improved access for overseas military and disabled voters (petition language).
Status: Petitions were certified by the Attorney General and submitted to the Secretary of State on 2/20/20. The Ballot Board voted on 3/2/20 to split the language into four separate proposals, and petitioners must now collect 1,000 signatures for each proposal in order to be reconsidered by the Board.
Ohioans to Raise the Wage
The proposal: A Constitutional amendment to raise the state minimum wage to $9.60 per hour in 2021, and in four equal annual increments, until it reaches $13 per hour in 2025, then increasing each year with inflation (petition language).
Status: Petitions were certified by the Attorney General and submitted to the Secretary of State on 1/27/20, and certified by the Ballot Board on 2/5/20. Petitioners must now collect 442,958 signatures to place the issue on the November ballot.
Ohioans for Legislative Term Limits
The proposal: A Constitutional amendment to impose lifetime term limits of 16 years on members of the General Assembly (petition language).
Status: Petitions were certified by the Attorney General and submitted to the Secretary of State on 2/27/20, and certified by the Ballot Board on 3/2/20. Petitioners must now collect 442,958 signatures to place the issue on the November ballot.
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