Section 15.11 is a provision in the Ohio Constitution that makes it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions.[2] Approved as a constitutional amendment in 2004 under the name of "Issue One", it received support from 61.7% of voters.[3]
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Ohio Definition of Marriage Amendment | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The text of the amendment states:
Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.[4]
The LGBT rights organization Equality Ohio was founded in response to the passage of Issue 1.[5]
Many political experts credit the amendment with bolstering turnout in rural Ohio, leading to many religious supporters of President George W. Bush to turnout to the polls, helping him win the state of Ohio by a narrow 2 point margin.
Results
edit| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
3,329,335 | 61.71 |
| No | 2,065,462 | 38.29 |
| Total votes | 5,394,797 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 8,427,696 | 64.01 |
County breakdown
edit| County | Yes | Votes | No | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 75.34% | 8,700 | 24.66% | 2,847 |
| Allen | 71.04% | 33,765 | 28.96% | 13,764 |
| Ashland | 70.48% | 17,447 | 29.52% | 7,307 |
| Ashtabula | 61.10% | 27,133 | 38.90% | 17,275 |
| Athens | 44.22% | 12,816 | 55.78% | 16,166 |
| Auglaize | 75.18% | 17,051 | 24.82% | 5,628 |
| Belmont | 72.32% | 23,521 | 27.68% | 9,002 |
| Brown | 74.12% | 14,394 | 25.88% | 5,026 |
| Butler | 68.08% | 109,779 | 31.92% | 51,462 |
| Carroll | 70.75% | 9,822 | 29.25% | 4,060 |
| Champaign | 70.17% | 12,915 | 29.83% | 5,491 |
| Clark | 63.88% | 42,661 | 36.12% | 24,126 |
| Clermont | 68.21% | 58,172 | 31.79% | 27,108 |
| Clinton | 71.65% | 12,791 | 28.35% | 5,062 |
| Columbiana | 70.14% | 33,970 | 29.86% | 14,465 |
| Coshocton | 69.78% | 11,693 | 30.22% | 5,063 |
| Crawford | 70.92% | 15,197 | 29.08% | 6,232 |
| Cuyahoga | 53.26% | 335,678 | 46.74% | 294,569 |
| Darke | 72.93% | 18,803 | 27.07% | 6,980 |
| Defiance | 72.40% | 13,048 | 27.60% | 4,975 |
| Delaware | 62.19% | 48,844 | 37.81% | 29,696 |
| Erie | 63.59% | 24,466 | 36.41% | 14,007 |
| Fairfield | 68.02% | 45,423 | 31.98% | 21,352 |
| Fayette | 74.83% | 8,544 | 25.17% | 2,874 |
| Franklin | 51.99% | 248,873 | 48.01% | 229,841 |
| Fulton | 71.77% | 15,041 | 28.23% | 5,917 |
| Gallia | 79.76% | 10,897 | 20.24% | 2,766 |
| Geauga | 59.93% | 29,360 | 40.07% | 19,630 |
| Greene | 62.04% | 48,100 | 37.96% | 29,430 |
| Guernsey | 69.23% | 11,781 | 30.77% | 5,237 |
| Hamilton | 56.30% | 229,118 | 43.70% | 177,850 |
| Hancock | 72.46% | 24,787 | 27.54% | 9,422 |
| Hardin | 74.49% | 9,710 | 25.51% | 3,325 |
| Harrison | 69.67% | 5,566 | 30.33% | 2,423 |
| Henry | 73.63% | 10,834 | 26.37% | 3,881 |
| Highland | 76.61% | 13,819 | 23.39% | 4,219 |
| Hocking | 69.99% | 8,935 | 30.01% | 3,832 |
| Holmes | 76.54% | 8,525 | 23.46% | 2,613 |
| Huron | 68.69% | 17,180 | 31.31% | 7,831 |
| Jackson | 74.98% | 10,332 | 25.02% | 3,448 |
| Jefferson | 72.41% | 25,726 | 27.59% | 9,801 |
| Knox | 68.19% | 17,815 | 31.81% | 8,310 |
| Lake | 57.63% | 65,012 | 42.37% | 47,796 |
| Lawrence | 79.44% | 21,155 | 20.56% | 5,474 |
| Licking | 66.28% | 51,612 | 33.72% | 26,262 |
| Logan | 72% | 15,112 | 28% | 5,878 |
| Lorain | 58.90% | 80,124 | 41.10% | 55,900 |
| Lucas | 57.61% | 119,916 | 42.39% | 88,227 |
| Madison | 70% | 12,003 | 30% | 5,144 |
| Mahoning | 62.95% | 81,469 | 37.05% | 47,951 |
| Marion | 67.91% | 19,374 | 32.09% | 9,157 |
| Medina | 61.56% | 50,655 | 38.44% | 31,629 |
| Meigs | 75.15% | 7,861 | 24.85% | 2,600 |
| Mercer | 77.05% | 15,777 | 22.95% | 4,698 |
| Miami | 67.77% | 33,641 | 32.23% | 15,998 |
| Monroe | 74.29% | 5,651 | 25.71% | 1,956 |
| Montgomery | 58.19% | 158,639 | 41.81% | 113,969 |
| Morgan | 71.80% | 4,708 | 28.20% | 1,849 |
| Morrow | 71.33% | 11,500 | 28.67% | 4,622 |
| Muskingum | 67.44% | 25,464 | 32.56% | 12,294 |
| Noble | 71.24% | 4,592 | 28.76% | 1,854 |
| Ottawa | 63.81% | 14,429 | 36.19% | 8,182 |
| Paulding | 74.15% | 7,218 | 25.85% | 2,516 |
| Perry | 71.13% | 10,567 | 28.87% | 4,288 |
| Pickaway | 70.57% | 15,670 | 29.43% | 6,534 |
| Pike | 74.57% | 9,069 | 25.43% | 3,092 |
| Portage | 57.52% | 42,828 | 42.48% | 31,626 |
| Preble | 70.81% | 14,593 | 29.19% | 6,015 |
| Putnam | 77.67% | 14,317 | 22.33% | 4,117 |
| Richland | 68.16% | 41,254 | 31.84% | 19,274 |
| Ross | 68.66% | 20,774 | 31.34% | 9,483 |
| Sandusky | 67.14% | 19,077 | 32.86% | 9,336 |
| Scioto | 76.70% | 26,401 | 23.30% | 8,018 |
| Seneca | 66.05% | 17,377 | 33.95% | 8,931 |
| Shelby | 73.45% | 16,445 | 26.55% | 5,943 |
| Stark | 64.18% | 118,809 | 35.82% | 66,302 |
| Summit | 57.87% | 153,894 | 42.13% | 112,045 |
| Trumbull | 61.88% | 64,823 | 38.12% | 39,933 |
| Tuscarawas | 65.93% | 27,623 | 34.07% | 14,274 |
| Union | 70.58% | 15,683 | 29.42% | 6,536 |
| Van Wert | 75.14% | 11,261 | 24.86% | 3,726 |
| Vinton | 68.59% | 4,010 | 31.41% | 1,836 |
| Warren | 69.41% | 63,431 | 30.59% | 27,960 |
| Washington | 72.27% | 20,940 | 27.73% | 8,036 |
| Wayne | 66.91% | 33,967 | 33.09% | 16,798 |
| Williams | 72.56% | 13,275 | 27.44% | 5,019 |
| Wood | 59.36% | 36,530 | 40.64% | 25,014 |
| Wyandot | 71.77% | 7,773 | 28.23% | 3,057 |
References
edit- ^ 2004 Elections Results
- ^ Official Ballot Language Archived 2006-06-22 at the Wayback Machine, Ohio Secretary of State. Accessed 21 December 2006.
- ^ CNN.com Election 2004 - Ballot Measures Accessed 30 November 2006.
- ^ Ohio Constitution, Article XV, section 11. Accessed 21 December 2006.
- ^ Glassman, Anthony (March 11, 2005). "Out of Issue 1, a new statewide group is born". Gay People's Chronicle. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "State Issue 1: November 2, 2004". Ohio Secretary of State.