OH: Don't expect a big August vote turnout
Last year’s August special primary election for state legislative seats became necessary after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the Ohio Redistricting Commission violated the state constitution by drawing gerrymandered General Assembly maps. Statewide turnout was 8 percent.
he Republican-controlled Legislature voted in December to eliminate all August elections except if a local government or school district in fiscal emergency wanted to put a tax levy on the ballot or if there needed to be a special primary for a vacant U.S. House seat.
The contention was the August elections were used by governments and school districts to sneak tax issues by voters who weren’t aware of the measures being on a ballot as Ohioans rarely vote that time of the year.
While the Legislature was voting to get rid of August elections, a number of Republican members also were working to get an issue on the May 2 primary ballot to make it harder to amend the state constitution.
The proposal would increase the threshold to pass a constitutional amendment from a simple majority to 60 percent. It didn’t come up for a vote in the Legislature’s lame duck session in December, but there later was a movement to get it on the Aug. 8 special election ballot.
https://www.salemnews.net/opinion/local-columns/2023/06/dont-expect-a-big-august-vote-turnout/
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