"Battle for Ohio's Issue 1: Proponents and Opponents Clash in High-Stakes Debate"

Ohio's special election for a ballot measure known as Issue 1 has become a proxy war over abortion rights. The measure aims to raise the threshold for future ballot initiatives from a simple majority to 60 percent of the vote. Republicans see it as a way to block a separate initiative for abortion rights set to be considered in November. Both sides have received substantial funds from out-of-state donors, with the opposition campaign raising $14.8 million and the group in support of Issue 1 raising $4.9 million. The outcome of Issue 1 will be an early indication of whether the post-Dobbs energy on abortion rights still turns out voters.