The Ohio Attorney General’s office certified two separate equal rights petitions on Friday, clearing the way for organizers to begin signature collection to get the measures on a future ballot.
The two amendments are:
- To prohibit the Ohio legislature and local municipalities from enacting or enforcing laws or policies that would discriminate against Ohioans on the basis of race, color, creed or religion, 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.
- To repeal the current language in Ohio’s Constitution that defines marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman.”
On July 3, the Attorney General’s office certified both amendments as one singular piece of ballot language, having obtained the 1,000 valid signatures required to advance in the process.
The Republican-controlled ballot board then severed the two amendments on July 9, leaving Ohio Equal Rights organizers with the decision to either appeal the decision or forge ahead to collect signatures for two separate ballot initiatives.
Ultimately organizers decided to collect the signatures for both initiatives, determining it was “less work and money than appealing the decision.”
“It could take months, if not years to appeal the decision in court,” said Lis Regula, Executive Co-Chair of Ohio Equal Rights. “Moving forward, even though it is double the signatures and paperwork, it is the best shot we have at securing equality for every Ohioan in a timely manner.”
According to statute, organizers must now collect signatures from registered voters equal to at least 10% of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. Those signatures must come from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, and for each of those counties the number must equal at least 5% of the vote cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.
The grand total needed? 442,958 signatures for each petition; 885,916 total are needed for both to appear before voters at a future election.
“We’re making sure we are protecting Ohioans with the efficiency and accuracy we all deserve,” said Ian Neinast, a project manager of Ohio Equal Rights, in a statement. “This is about more than signatures, it’s a movement rooted in fairness and the belief that every Ohioan matters.”
Organizers shared they are now launching the first phase of their signature collection campaign: spending the rest of 2025 “conducting small-scale testing, refining [their] systems, and building out signature tracking infrastructure.” They also said they are working on “deepening coalition partnerships” and encourage individuals and organizations to reach out if they want to support their signature-collection efforts.
As he did on July 3, Attorney General Dave Yost included language in his certification making it clear that certification does not equal endorsement.
“This certification should not be construed as an affirmation of the enforceability, constitutionality, or wisdom of the proposed amendment,” Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. “Those matters are left for a different forum and another day.” 🔥
This piece has been updated with a response from Ohio Equal Rights organizers in response to the Attorney General’s certification.
IGNITE ACTION
- Learn more about the efforts to pass an Ohio Equal Rights Amendment by visiting their website here.
- Check your Ohio voter registration status here.
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