Ohio Amendments Saved for November 2027

Last October, at the Daily Signal-sponsored Essential Summit hosted by the Center for Christian Virtue, a panel warned of the upcoming ballot initiatives in Ohio. One would enshrine same-sex marriage into the state constitution, while the other would apply “gender identity and expression” to the list of protected citizens.

However, the group behind the initiatives is now saving them for next year.

In a statement for the Daily Signal, Ohio Equal Rights provided some insight about the timeline.

“After careful consideration, Ohio Equal Rights has decided to focus our efforts on a 2027 ballot timeline rather than 2026. This decision was made based on a number of strategic considerations, including the need for time and space for our volunteers to take care of themselves and each other during a busy campaign year, and our commitment to putting forward the strongest possible campaign to secure lasting constitutional protections for all Ohioans,” the statement mentioned.

Ohio voters will go to the polls this year for major federal and statewide races, including for the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and governor.

“Our mission remains unchanged. Ohio Equal Rights is working to ensure equal rights protections are explicitly guaranteed in the Ohio Constitution and to ensure all Ohioans have a fair playing field and access to justice when necessary. We believe taking the additional time to build support, strengthen partnerships, and engage voters across Ohio will best position the amendment for success,” the statement continued. “We remain actively engaged in outreach, education, and organizing efforts and look forward to continuing those conversations with Ohioans over the coming months.”

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During last year’s summit, Peter Range, a Center for Christian Virtue senior fellow, read from the amendment text, explaining how the initiative aims to protect citizens based on race, color, creed, or religion, but also sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression regardless of sex assigned at birth, pregnancy status, genetic information, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status. Range suggested that all of those characteristics tied together were about “trying to pick up votes.”

Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, provided a recent statement to the Daily Signal about the yearlong delay.

 “I’m glad the extremists behind these ballot initiatives finally woke up a realized what we’ve known all along: Ohioans don’t want men in women’s bathrooms, or boys competing in girls sports,” he said.

Still, Baer had a warning. “While we welcome this news, voters across Ohio cannot let their guards down. The demagogues behind these harmful amendments will flood our state with dark money and lies in the coming year. We must remain vigilant at the ballot box this November, and elect leaders who share our values and will protect Ohio families,” he continued.

Range also warned during the summit that influential donors, including from out of state, could get involved.

Ohio Equal Rights needs to collect about 413,487 signatures from at least 44 of 88 counties. To qualify for the November ballot, it would have needed the signatures by July 1 for each amendment.

As the secretary of state’s office mentioned last week, the only ballot initiative for November 2026 will be on enshrining existing voter ID in the state constitution.

The Ohio Constitution recognizes marriage as between one man and one woman, as voted on in 2004 with 61.7% of the vote. The U.S. Supreme Court in the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges, originating out of Ohio, codified same-sex marriage. In 2022, then-President Joe Biden signed a law codifying federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriage.