WARREN — Democrats rallying against state Issue 1 say if the proposed constitutional amendment is approved during the Aug. 8 special election, it would take away majority rule.

“We’re all here because we believe Issue 1 needs to be defeated by Ohio,” Karen Zehr, secretary of the Trumbull County Democratic Party, said. “We don’t want to give up our rights.”

About 60 people attended Thursday’s anti-Issue 1 rally outside the Trumbull County Board of Elections. The event was organized by the Trumbull County Democratic Party, the Mahoning / Trumbull Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Trumbull County Young Democrats.

If Issue 1 is approved, all future constitutional amendment ballot issues would need at least 60 percent support to pass rather than the current simple majority. That includes a proposed abortion rights amendment on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Also, if passed, effective Jan. 1, 2024, any future proposed amendments would need signatures from at least 5 percent of those who voted in the last gubernatorial election from all of the state’s 88 counties to qualify for the ballot, rather than the current 44-county threshold.

The Republican-controlled state Legislature decided to put the constitutional amendment on a special Aug. 8 ballot in an attempt to make it harder for voters to pass state constitutional amendments because it only needs a majority and the bar should be raised.

The move to put Issue 1 on a special August ballot — after the Legislature voted to eliminate nearly all August elections in December — came as abortion rights organizers were working to collect signatures for a constitutional amendment. Boards of elections throughout the state have until Thursday to certify that the proposed amendment has enough valid signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 election.

Reached for comment, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou said: “With early voting underway, Ohioans have the opportunity to protect our values by locking in their vote and saying yes on Issue 1. For working Ohioans who are in favor of good government, voting yes on Issue 1 is common sense as it preserves the people’s critical role in our government while making sure controversial issues are left out of our state’s founding document.”

Tommy Summers of Champion, vice president of the Trumbull County Young Democrats, said at the rally that his organization is “committed to protecting one person, one vote. Citizens in Ohio have been able to amend the constitution for over 100 years and we’re working to protect the right of the majority. Majority will must still be the rule.”

Dr. Tara Shipman, an OB-GYN in Warren, said Issue 1 is an effort to “undermine people’s rights. It’s about stopping reproductive rights, but it’s about more than that. It would allow (about) 40 percent of the state to dictate what we can do. I’m involved because of reproductive rights in Ohio. But it’s got a broader reach than that.”

Among those at Thursday’s rally were Olivia Menz of Cortland and Angela Imes of Warren, both 18, who voted for the first time — against Issue 1.

“I’m trying to make a difference in our country,” Menz said.

Imes said she opposes Issue 1 because “voting should not be taken away from us and also for women’s rights.”