Ohio Voter Qualifications and Privileges Amendment (June 1976)

Ohio Voter Qualifications and Privileges Amendment
Election date June 8, 1976
Topic Residency voting requirements and Voting age policy
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Ohio Voter Qualifications and Privileges Amendment was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Ohio on June 8, 1976. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 18 and eliminate the six-month residency requirement in the Ohio Constitution and allow the General Assembly to deny voting rights and public office eligibility to individuals convicted of a felony, among other provisions.

A "no" vote opposed lowering the voting age to 18 years old, permitting the general assembly to deny convicted felons the right to vote or run for office, and repealing provisions granting voters privilege from arrest.

Election results

Ohio Voter Qualifications and Privileges Amendment
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		975,196	56.75%
No		743,060	43.25%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Voter Qualifications and Privileges Amendment was as follows:

“

To amend Section 1 and 4 and to repeal Sections 3 and 5 of Article V, Ohio Constitution To conform the Ohio Constitution to the United States Constitution and to federal court decisions by lowering the voting age to 18 and eliminating the six months residency requirement. To permit the general assembly by law to deny persons convicted of a felony the privilege of voting or being eligible for public office. To repeal provisions granting voters privilege from arrest and repeal the section which prohibits military personnel from boating from a residence on a military installation within the state. Shall the proposed amendment be adopted?

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Ohio Constitution

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Ohio State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 60 votes in the Ohio House of Representatives and 20 votes in the Ohio State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1976 Measures

• 1976 Measures
• Residency voting requirements on the ballot
• Voting age policy on the ballot
• Voting rights for persons with criminal convictions on the ballot
• 1976 legislative sessions

Ohio

• Ohio ballot measures
• Ohio ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Cleveland State University Law Library, "Ohio Constitution - Law and History: Table of Proposed Amendments," June 2, 2023