(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – September 1, 2021 — The Ohio Attorney General’s Office today rejected a petition for a proposed constitutional amendment due to a lack of valid signatures.
On Aug. 23, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office received a written petition to amend the Ohio Constitution with a measure titled “Civil Action for Deprivation of Constitutional Rights Amendment.” The submission contained part-petitions and signatures, which were sent to the respective boards of elections for verification.
To begin the constitutional amendment process, at least 1,000 signatures are required to be submitted, but the elections boards confirmed only 783.
The crux of such petitions put before the Attorney General’s Office typically centers on whether the summary provided accurately represents the measure that Ohioans will be asked to enact. Because the petitioners did not reach the minimum number of signatures required.
The office serves as the first check in the citizen-initiated constitutional amendment process. When signatures are verified and a summary certified by the AGO, the petition is sent to the Ohio Ballot Board, which determines whether the amendment contains a single issue or multiple issues.
The petitioners must then collect signatures for each issue from registered voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, with each county’s total hitting at least 5% of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. Total signatures collected statewide also must also equal at least 10% of the vote from that gubernatorial election.
The full text of today’s letter and of the petition submitted can be found on the attorney general’s website.