Paid for by American Civil Liberties Union Inc. in coordination with Ohioans United for

reproductive rights. From the ACLU, this is at Liberty. I'm Kendall Seasmeyer, your host.

On November 7th, Ohio voters will decide whether to pass issue 1, which would protect their decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and abortion.

Now, the fact that this amendment is even on the ballot is a huge feat.

First, Ohioans had to submit hundreds of thousands of signatures to get the reproductive freedom amendment on the ballot this fall.

Fearing that voters will take power into their own hands to protect reproductive rights,

anti-abortion politicians forced a different amendment onto the ballot in August

to raise the threshold for passing any future ballot measure from a simple majority to 60% of the vote.

This thinly veiled attack on democracy and Ohioans voting power to protect abortion filled by wide margins.

So now, Ohioans will finally have the opportunity to weigh in directly on reproductive freedom

in their state over the next several weeks. Early voting started on October 11th, and election day is on November 7th.

As we approach the election, our friends at the ACLU of Ohio and Ohioans United for

Reproductive Rights are engaged in efforts to get Ohioans to vote yes on issue one.

Voting yes is imperative because there is so much on the line.

For advocates on each side of the abortion debate, this November is likely the most important Ohio election in state history. Access to abortion in Ohio is absolutely on a razor's edge.

Back in June of 2022, the overturn of Roevi Wade triggered a six-week abortion ban in Ohio,

one that had no exceptions for rape or incest. It went into effect for nearly three months before it was

put on hold because of litigation filed by the ACLU and our partners.

Despite this temporary victory, the ban is just one ruling away from criminalizing care.

Passing the amendment that is on the ballot in Ohio in November would stop the ban from ever going into effect again.

It's the opportunity for voters to really get a say, not just a judge or politicians.

Abortion is health care. Abortion is legal. Abortion is legal. Abortion is all right. Abortion is our right.

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