Ohio 2018 ballot measures
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 10 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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Two statewide ballot measures were certified for the 2018 ballot in the state of Ohio.
- One measure was on the ballot for the election on May 8, 2018. The measure was approved.
- One measure was on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018. The measure was defeated.
On the ballot
May 8, 2018:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Issue 1 | Redistricting | Creates procedures for congressional redistricting |  |
November 6, 2018:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Issue 1 | Trials | Makes drug possession and use offenses misdemeanors and allocates savings to programs |  |
Summary of campaign contributions
- See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2018
The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees had amassed in campaign contributions for each measure on the ballot:
November 6:
| Ballot Measure: | Support contributions: | Opposition contributions: | Outcome: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Issue 1 | $17,643,394.94 | $1,739,550.00 | |
May 8:
Cost per required signature
- See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2018
The cost-per-required signature (CPRS) is a comparison of the amount of money spent on the petition drive to the number of signatures the state requires for an initiative to make the ballot. The following chart illustrates the CPRS for the ballot initiative:
| Ballot Measure: | Topic: | Petition company | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Issue 1 | Drug crime policy | Stand Up for Ohio, Ohio Voter Action Fund, SMI Enterprises LLC, and The Operation Group Inc. | $3,669,266.74 | 306,591 | $11.97 |
| Averages: | N/A | N/A | $3,669,266.74 | N/A | $11.97 |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens of Ohio have the powers of initiated state statute, initiated constitutional amendment, and veto referendum. The initiated state statutes in Ohio are indirect, meaning petitions for them go to the Ohio General Assembly after an initial set of signatures are verified. For 2018 initiatives, the initial set of signatures was 91,677. Signatures need to be turned in at least 10 days before the start of the legislative session to be considered. Per Section 8 of Article II of the Ohio Constitution, the 2018 legislative session began on January 9, 2018. Therefore, the latest the first set of signatures could have been turned in for an initiated statute to appear on the 2018 ballot was December 30, 2017. If approved by the legislature unamended, the initiated statute becomes law. If not, petitioners must collect an additional round of 91,677 signatures within ninety days in order to place the statute on the ballot.
Ohioans also have the power to propose initiated constitutional amendments. Unlike initiated statutes, initiated amendments are direct, meaning the legislature does not first vote on the issue. Rather, upon certification, initiated amendments proceed directly to a vote of the people. A total of 305,591 valid signatures were required to get an initiated constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot. Signatures need to be turned in at least 125 days before the intended general election date. For the 2018 general election, 125 days prior was July 4, 2018.
Laws passed by the legislature can be placed on the ballot by citizens through veto referendums. For referendums, petitions must be submitted to the Ohio secretary of state within 90 days of the targeted law being filed. At least 183,355 valid signatures were required to place a referendum on the 2018 ballot.
The Ohio General Assembly may also propose amendments to the people as legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Referred amendments must be approved and filed at least 90 days prior to the election at which they are to be submitted to the electors. For the 2018 general election, 90 days prior was August 8, 2018.
Historical facts
- A total of 43 measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1995 and 2017.
- From 1995 through 2017, an average of two measures appeared on the ballot during even- and odd-numbered election years in Ohio.
- The number of measures appearing on statewide ballots between 1995 and 2017 ranged from zero to five.
- Between 1995 and 2017, about 53.5 percent (23 of 43) of statewide ballots were approved by voters, and about 46.5 percent (20 of 43) were defeated.
| Ohio statewide ballot measures, 1995-2017 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Annual average | Annual median | Annual minimum | Annual maximum |
| Even years | 21 | 11 | 52.38% | 10 | 47.62% | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Odd years | 20 | 12 | 54.55% | 10 | 45.45% | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0 | 5 |
| All years | 41 | 23 | 53.49% | 20 | 46.51% | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0 | 5 |
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Limits on Dialysis Clinics' Revenue and Required Refunds Initiative | Healthcare | Cap on dialysis clinics' revenue | 
|
| CICA | Congressional Redistricting Commission Initiative | Redistricting | Bipartisan congressional redistricting |
|
| CICA | Rules for Breeding Dogs and Selling Puppies Initiative | Animals | Rules for dog breeding |
|
| CICA | Right to Enact Local Laws Initiative | Local Gov't | Local communities' rights to enact certain laws |
|
| CICA | Right to Local Initiative and Referendum Initiative | Direct Democracy | Right to local initiatives and referendums |
|
State profile
| Demographic data for Ohio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 11,605,090 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 40,861 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 82.4% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 12.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.1% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,429 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.6% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Ohio
Ohio voted Republican in four out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, nine are located in Ohio, accounting for 4.37 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Ohio had eight Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Ohio coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Ohio
- United States congressional delegations from Ohio
- Public policy in Ohio
- Endorsers in Ohio
- Ohio fact checks
- More...
See also
- 2018 ballot measures
- Ohio ballot measures
- Ohio signature requirements
- Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Ohio
- Laws governing the initiative process in Ohio
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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