Ohio Special Elections

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John,

The Abe Team is back in time for some fireworks!! After graduation, June weddings, a brief summer respite, we’ve got some work to do together. As ever, we thank you so much for being one of the Union’s most engaged volunteers. Without you, The Union would never be as effective a force as we’ve become.

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First order of business:

We’re just a month away from another state-level attempt to weaken access to direct democracy, and naturally, it has important national implications.

What’s at stake? Ohioans’ ability to determine Ohio’s future through ballot initiatives to amend the state constitution. In order to undercut Ohioans’ self-determination, Republicans have proposed a measure to increase the threshold for passage of amendments from a simple majority to a 60% supermajority. Moreover, to ensure that this measure will pass with the fewest votes, the Republican-dominated legislature is holding the special election in the beginning of August, perhaps the hottest time of year. At this point in the summer, when many are away, it’s tough to rustle up enough poll workers - let alone get people across Ohio to vote. How ironic! MAGA is counting on low turnout to push this measure through—but that’s when the Abe Team can really make the difference.

PS: The MAGA supermajority in the Ohio legislature is selling this measure as a constitutional protection aimed at keeping special interests out of constitutional affairs. In reality, it’s an unconstitutional attempt to codify super majority rule, the very opposite of the bedrock of democracy: one person, one vote. “All of Ohio’s living ex-governors, both Democrats and Republicans, and five bipartisan former attorneys general oppose the constitutional change,” the Associated Press reports, “along with a sweeping coalition of labor, faith, voting rights, civil rights and community groups.”

The clock is ticking, faithful. To turn this anti-democracy measure back, we need every NO vote we can get. As a member of the Abe-Team, you can play a crucial role in Ohio, even if you can’t be there on the ground. We call on every democracy defender to phone bank, knock on doors or to register voters - and to not just let them know there is an August election, but that our ability to determine our own futures as voters is on the line.

Amplifying the importance of VOTING NO! is why we’re reigniting the Abe-Team for the next month. This week’s Abe-Team priority action is below.

ACTION: Help The Union preserve Ohioans’ long-held freedom to enact laws via citizen ballot initiatives.

Patriotic Phone Bank to Register Pro-Democracy Voters with Partners Field Team 6! ([link removed])
Tues, July 4th, 4:00pm - 6:00pm ET

Mobilize Voters to Vote NO! on 8/8 ([link removed])
Wed, July 5th, 6:00pm – 8:30pm ET

According to Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, a prominent pro-democracy advocate, “the outcome of this election will “set the tone for how we go into 2024 legislative sessions, what tactics, what nuances state legislatures may do to try and undermine the will of the people, and impact the ability of citizens to bring issues to the ballot.”

Join our communication platform, The Union Slack, HERE ([link removed]) to stay connected to like-minded folks and thank you for continuing to amplify The Union’s messages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Together,


The Union Abe Team
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