Issue 1 does not pass

The August 8 Special Election had a higher than expected turnout across the state of Ohio. The unofficial results, with a total of 3,059,440 votes cast, are a rejection of State Issue 1 “Elevating the Standards to Qualify for an Initiated Constitutional Amendment and to Pass a Constitutional Amendment.” Votes reported by the Ohio Secretary of State are:

YES - 1,315,346 - 42.99%
NO - 1,744,094 - 57.01%

Bluffton polling place manager Edna Conkling told the Icon that “it was very busy, very surprising. They did not expect us to have this many votes.” All Bluffton precincts had to have an additional supply of ballots provided.

After the polls closed at 7:30 p.m., Bluffton poll workers reported 1,069 in person votes plus 15 provisional votes.

There were no voters waiting to vote at 7:30 p.m.

The Bluffton polling place was short-handed for the special election, with 9 workers reporting rather than 12. Having opened the polling place at 6:30 a.m. that morning, their work was not yet done, with teardown and delivering ballots to Lima still ahead of them.

Allen County reported 36.19% of registered voters having cast ballots with the following totals:

YES - 15,188
NO - 8,538

These election results are unofficial, and properly postmarked absentee ballots received by the deadline established by state law may be counted.