Ohio Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment (2026)
| Ohio Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Constitutional rights |
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| Status Cleared for signature gathering |
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| Type Initiated constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The Ohio Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment may appear on the ballot in Ohio as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
This ballot initiative would repeal language in the Ohio Constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, and would replace these provisions with new language providing that the state shall issue marriage licenses to individuals eighteen and older and not nearer of kin than second cousins; require the state to recognize and equally treat all marriages regardless of race, sex, or gender identity; and provide that religious organizations and clergy members have the right to refuse to solemnize a marriage.[1]
Text of measure
Full text
The full text of the ballot measure is available here.
Support
Ohio Equal Rights is leading the campaign in support of the ballot measure.[2]
Arguments
Path to the ballot
Process in Ohio
In Ohio, the number of signatures required to get an initiated constitutional amendment placed on the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Ohio also requires initiative sponsors to submit 1,000 signatures with the initial petition application. Ohio has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures be gathered from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. Petitioners must gather signatures equal to a minimum of half the total required percentage of the gubernatorial vote in each of the 44 counties. Petitions are allowed to circulate for an indefinite period of time. Signatures are due 125 days prior to the general election that proponents want the initiative on.
The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 413,488 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit the signatures is July 1, 2026.
County boards of elections are responsible for verifying signatures, and the secretary of state must determine the sufficiency of the signature petition at least 105 days before the election. If the first batch of signatures is determined to be insufficient, the petitioners are given a ten-day window to collect more signatures.
Stages of this ballot initiative
- The initiative was submitted to the attorney general's office on June 24, 2025.[3]
- On July 9, the Ohio Ballot Board divided the petition into two separate petitions.
- On August 8, the petition was certified by Attorney General David Yost (R).<ref name=list>
See also
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External links
Footnotes
