Tonight, the majority of Ohio voters made the choice to enshrine reproductive rights and personal health care decisions in the state Constitution. They said that personal decisions should be made by individuals and their families, free from intrusive government oversight.

After working to help secure a resounding victory in August that preserved the principle of one person—one vote, Ohio Citizen Action made a victory on Issue 1 a priority. Throughout the campaign, our staff knocked on more than 60,000 doors, made nearly 100,000 phone calls, and urged voters to engage in the democratic process by making a plan to vote and supporting Issue 1 in November.

We heard stories from those who had been personally impacted by heart-wrenching decisions and impossible choices. We also heard stories from those who had witnessed the nightmare results that occurred years ago before access to reproductive health care was legal. Everyone had their own reasons for their vote.

Ohioans were pelted with a flurry of misinformation and outright lies leading up to Election Day. But as we have seen many times in the past, Ohio voters are informed and are willing to do their homework. They understood that at the heart of this issue was a clear decision: Do you want to protect your right to make your own reproductive health decisions or are you willing to hand over that power to the government?

Ohio voters have made their choice by voting yes on Issue 1 and we celebrate with them tonight.

Rachael Belz, CEO

Ohio Citizen Action