Ohio Personhood Initiative (2014)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

The Ohio "Personhood" Initiative was not on the November 4, 2014 statewide ballot in Ohio as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure would have defined a person as human at any stage of development, including fertilization. The measure was sponsored by the group Personhood Ohio, which was part of a nationwide campaign to change state constitutions to include all stages of development when defining a person.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Ohio

Supporters were required to collect at least 385,247 valid signatures by July 2, 2014 in order to land the measure on the November 2014 ballot. However, no signatures were submitted by the prescribed deadline.

Past attempts

On January 9, 2012, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) approved the language of the measure, allowing for the circulation of initiative petitions for signature gathering.

However, it was reported on June 21, 2012, that the group behind the initiative was well short of the signature threshold, only collecting 20,000 signatures with less than a month remaining before the deadline. Patrick Johnston, the director of Personhood Ohio, stated, "I don't know what I'm going to get the last week of this month, but it needs to be a ton to get it by July 4." The measure ultimately did not make the ballot.

Supporters of the proposal had until July 3, 2013, to turn in the required 385,247 signatures in order to place the measure on the ballot. A call to the Secretary of State's office on July 8, 2013, confirmed that no signatures were turned in by the deadline.

See also

Suggest a link

• 2014 ballot measures
• Ohio 2014 ballot measures
• List of Ohio ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Ohio