Amendments to the Ohio Constitution
Since 1803, Ohio has had two constitutions, the second of which has been amended over 170 times. Some amendments affected more than one section of the constitution. Each square below represents when a section was changed by an amendment.
Scroll through the timeline to view amendments to the constitution by year and historical context for significant amendments.
Each block on this histogram represents a change—e.g., a substantive change, repeal & replace, or renumbering—to an individual section rather than an amendment. Some amendments result in multiple changes, resulting in multiple blocks being attributed to one amendment. Likewise, a section may be amended more than once in an year, but these amendments will only appear as one block on the histogram. When a block or blocks are marked red in a specific year, that means that a new constitution went into effect that year.
The Ohio Constitution & Its Amendments
Ohio has had two constitutions and four constitutional conventions since becoming the first state carved out of the Northwest Territory.
The first constitution was drafted and approved in 1802 at a convention in Chillicothe. This led to Ohio’s admission as the 17th state in the Union, though due to an oversight, Congress technically did not complete the formal admission process until 1953, when Congress retroactively granted statehood effective March 1, 1803.
Dissatisfaction with the original constitution—particularly the unmanageable caseload it required of the Ohio Supreme Court and its concentration of power in the Ohio General Assembly—led to a second constitutional convention in 1851. That convention produced a new constitution, which remains in effect today, making it one of the oldest state constitutions in the nation. (A third constitution was proposed in 1874, but voters rejected it.)
Today, there are three ways to amend the Ohio Constitution, and all require voters to approve the proposed amendments by a simple majority. First, the legislature can propose amendments with a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Second, citizens can propose amendments directly through an initiative petition process after collecting a sufficient number of signatures from voters. Third, a constitutional convention can propose either a new constitution or individual amendments. However, conventions can only be held if voters approve them first—either through a ballot question that automatically appears every 20 years, or through a question placed on the ballot by a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber.
Since 1851, the Ohio Constitution has been amended more than 170 times, with most of the changes coming from proposals submitted to the voters by the legislature.
Ohio State Capitol. Jonathan Thorne.
In 2025 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2023
Reproductive Rights
In November 2023, Ohio voters approved a citizen-initiated amendment establishing an individual right “to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” including access to abortion up to fetal viability. The amendment was one of several ballot measures passed nationwide after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned prior precedent and held that the U.S. Constitution does not protect a right to abortion.
The road to passage was contentious. Anticipating the initiative, state officials scheduled a special election in August 2023 on a legislative proposed amendment that would have made future citizen initiatives harder to pass by raising signature requirements and increasing the approval threshold from a simple majority of voters to a 60% supermajority. Initially, sponsors denied any connection to the abortion measure, but they later admitted it was “100%” about blocking it. Voters rejected that legislative proposal, preserving the simple majority rule ahead of the November election on the abortion measure, which ultimately prevailed by a 57%-43% margin.
Students gathered at a reproductive rights rally at the Ohio State Capitol, 2022. Paul Becker.
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In 2023 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2022
Noncitizen Voting Amendment
In 2022, Ohio voters approved a legislatively proposed amendment to specify that “only a citizen of the United States” is eligible to vote at any state or local election held in Ohio. Before this change, the Ohio Constitution said that “every citizen” could vote, provided they met other eligibility requirements, but it did not explicitly ban noncitizens from voting.
The amendment, which preceded a wave of similar measures on the ballot across the country in 2024, was proposed after voters in the village of Yellow Springs passed a local charter amendment in 2022 allowing noncitizens to vote in village elections. The Ohio Secretary of State blocked that change, saying it violated the state and federal constitutions, while village leaders pointed to the lack of a clear prohibition against allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections and argued it was allowed under the village’s home rule powers. With the 2022 amendment, the Ohio Constitution now prohibits noncitizens from voting in any election in the state.
In 2021 the Constitution was Changed 30 Times
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Persons responsible for apportionment of state for members of General Assembly
Article XI. Apportionment Section 2.
Ratio of representation in House of Representatives and Senate
Article XI. Apportionment Section 3.
Population of each House of Representatives
Article XI. Apportionment Section 4.
Population in each Senate district
Article XI. Apportionment Section 5.
Representation for each House of Representatives and Senate district
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6.
Creation of district boundaries; change at end of decennial period
Article XI. Apportionment Section 7.
Boundary lines of House of Representatives districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 8.
Determination of number of House of Representatives districts within each county
Article XI. Apportionment Section 9.
When population of county is fraction of ratio of representation
Article XI. Apportionment Section 10.
Division of state into House of Representatives districts; standards
Article XI. Apportionment Section 11.
Senate districts; formation
Article XI. Apportionment Section 12.
Term of senators on change of district boundaries of Senate
Article XI. Apportionment Section 13.
Jurisdiction of Supreme Court, effect of determination of unconstitutionality; apportionment
Article XI. Apportionment Section 14.
Continuation of present district boundaries
Article XI. Apportionment Section 15.
Severability provision
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Ohio Redistricting Commission
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Ohio Redistricting Commission
Article XI. Apportionment Section 2.
Representation
Article XI. Apportionment Section 3.
Requirements for drawing House of Representatives districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 4.
Requirements for drawing Senate districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 5.
Changes in boundaries of Senate districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6.
Additional district standards
Article XI. Apportionment Section 7.
Political subdivision boundaries to be used
Article XI. Apportionment Section 8.
Impasse procedure
Article XI. Apportionment Section 9.
Jurisdiction of Supreme Court; effect of determination of unconstitutionality
Article XI. Apportionment Section 10.
Severability
Article XIX. Congressional Redistricting
Congressional Redistricting
Article XIX. Congressional Redistricting Section 1.
Method of adopting congressional redistricting plan
Article XIX. Congressional Redistricting Section 2.
Requirements for drawing congressional districts
Article XIX. Congressional Redistricting Section 3.
Jurisdiction of Supreme Court, effect of determination of unconstitutionality
2018
Congressional Redistricting Reform
Followed the 2015 reform addressing state legislative districts and aiming to reduce partisan gerrymandering, Ohio voters in 2018 approved a legislatively proposed amendment to change how congressional districts are drawn.
Under the new system, the legislature has the first opportunity to draw the state’s congressional map, subject to vote requirements intended to ensure bipartisan support. If the legislature fails, then the Ohio redistricting commission established by the 2015 amendment steps in. Similarly, any plan passed by the commission requires bipartisan support. Should the commission fail to adopt a map, the legislature gets a second chance to draw the map with a less onerous bipartisan vote requirement, or the legislature may adopt a temporary map by a simple majority, subject to strict requirements about how often counties can split among multiple districts. If the legislature adopts a temporary map, the process later repeats to adopt a map that governs until the next redistricting cycle.
Like the 2015 measure, the impact of the 2018 amendment proved limited. During the post-2020 redistricting cycle, lawsuits challenged the new congressional maps for favoring one political party. The Ohio Supreme Court struck down two sets of maps, but the U.S. Supreme Court later vacated the second ruling, leading to dismissal of the legal challenge.
In 2024, a citizen-led campaign tried to replace the system entirely, but voters rejected the proposal. The proposed system, which would have established a 15-member citizens redistricting commission and enacted additional safeguards against gerrymandering, appeared on the ballot with language suggesting that, rather than banning gerrymandering, the amendment would require political gerrymandering, which led to voter confusion about the amendment’s effects. Voters narrowly rejected the amendment, but former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor, who led the group behind the amendment, saw the vote as a clear indication that Ohioans want to end gerrymandering.
Voters at a polling location in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, in 2018. Tim Evanson.
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In 2018 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2015
State Legislative Redistricting Reform
In 2015, Ohio voters approved a legislatively proposed amendment to overhaul the state’s process for drawing state legislative districts. The amendment created a bipartisan seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission and included provisions designed to curb partisan gerrymandering. The commission is comprised of four members appointed by legislative leaders plus the governor, auditor, and secretary of state. This differed from the 12-member commission proposed by a failed 2012 citizen-initiated amendment, which would have had eight members affiliated with the two major parties, four for each party, plus four members unaffiliated with either party. Those 12 members would have been selected, primarily, by lot after a bipartisan group of judges winnowed down the pool of eligible applicants.
The state’s experience during the 2020 redistricting cycle revealed the limits of the 2015 changes. The majority party continued to push through legislative districts favoring its candidates, and litigation led to multiple Ohio Supreme Court rulings declaring the maps unconstitutional. However, the court interpreted the 2015 amendment as limiting their ability to enforce compliance. After a standoff between the Redistricting Commission and the Ohio Supreme Court, a federal court ordered into effect a redistricting plan that the Ohio Supreme Court had rejected multiple times for impermissible partisan bias. Frustration with this experience among some Ohioans helped fuel a high-profile citizen-led initiative campaign in 2024 to reform the redistricting process, though it was ultimately unsuccessful.
“Anti-Monopoly” Amendment
Voters in 2015 also approved an amendment to discourage the use of the constitutional initiative power to write special economic deals into the state constitution. This was prompted by a controversial marijuana legalization proposal on the same ballot that would have given ten pre-selected sites the exclusive right to grow marijuana commercially. (Voters rejected the plan but later approved an initiated statute legalizing recreational marijuana in 2023.) Lawmakers also cited concerns about a 2009 amendment that allowed casino gambling only at four specific sites owned by the amendment’s backers.
The approved amendment requires voters to approve not only the proposed constitutional change but also a separate ballot question explicitly acknowledging that the measure would confer an exclusive economic benefit that violates the usual constitutional prohibition on such arrangements.
Ohio Judicial Center and home of the Ohio Supreme Court. Sixflashphoto.
In 2015 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 2014 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2012
Voters Reject Constitutional Convention Call
In 2012, Ohio voters rejected the mandatory 20-year convention call, continuing the streak that began in 1932. Ohio’s last constitutional convention was held in 1912.
2011
Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission
In 2011, a year before Ohio voters would again decide whether to call a constitutional convention, the legislature created the bipartisan Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission. Modeled after the Ohio Constitutional Revision Commission that operated throughout much of the 1970s, this newer body was tasked with studying the state constitution and recommending changes to the legislature.
The Commission operated until 2017. None of its recommendations resulted in proposed amendments, but legislative members of the Commission played key roles in advancing two constitutional amendments in 2015—one to reform the process for redrawing state legislative districts and another to make it harder to use the initiative process to grant exclusive economic rights.
Voters Approve “Healthcare Freedom”
Ohio voters in 2011 also approved an initiated constitutional amendment guaranteeing the freedom “to choose health care and health care coverage.” The measure was one of several state-level efforts in the early 2010s aimed at opposing the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). While such measures had anti-ACA origins, some litigants and courts have invoked their broad right-to-choose language to support state constitutional protections for abortion access.
In 2011 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2009
Gambling at Casinos
After several initiative campaigns to legalize gambling failed in the 1990s and 2000s, Ohio voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment in 2009 authorizing casino gambling at four specific sites—one each in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. The amendment was controversial because it named exact parcels of land already owned by the initiative’s financial backers, effectively granting them exclusive rights to operate casinos in the state.
Following the election, the Columbus site quickly became contentious as local leaders opposed its downtown location. However, because the 2009 measure locked in its location, moving it required amending the constitution. In 2010, the legislature placed an amendment on the ballot to relocate the casino site, and voters approved the change.
Criticism of the 2009 measure as creating a casino “monopoly” later helped fuel support for a 2015 amendment proposed by lawmakers aimed at making it harder to grant exclusive economic rights through Ohio’s constitutional initiative process.
In 2009 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2r.
Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts Compensation Fund
Article XIV. Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
Article XIV. Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board Section 1.
Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 6.
Lotteries, charitable bingo, casino gaming
In 2008 the Constitution was Changed 6 Times
Article I. Bill of Rights Section 19b.
Protect private property rights in ground water, lakes and other watercourses
Article II. Legislative Section 1a.
Initiative and referendum to amend constitution
Article II. Legislative Section 1b.
Initiative and referendum to enact laws
Article II. Legislative Section 1c.
Referendum to challenge laws enacted by General Assembly
Article II. Legislative Section 1g.
Petition requirements and preparation; submission; ballot language; by Ohio ballot board
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2q.
Issuance of Bonds for Continuation of Environmental Revitalization and Conservation
2006
Minimum Wage Increase
In 2006, voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment raising Ohio’s minimum wage and requiring annual adjustments tied to inflation. The amendment set the minimum wage at $6.85 per hour beginning January 1, 2007 (with some exceptions); the rate has increased each year since, reaching $10.70 in 2025.
The measure was one of six minimum wage initiatives on state ballots during the November 2006 midterm elections. Political observers viewed these measures as an effort to boost Democratic turnout, similar to how same-sex marriage bans on state ballots in 2004 were seen as a way to motivate Republican voters.
In 2006 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 2005 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
2004
Same-Sex Marriage Ban
In 2004, voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment defining marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman” and prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from recognizing any other union. The measure was one of eleven same-sex marriage bans adopted nationwide during the November 2004 general election, widely seen as an effort to boost turnout among social conservative voters in a presidential election year.
Although Ohio’s same-sex marriage ban remains in the state constitution, it is unenforceable because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which consolidated six lower-court cases, including one filed in Ohio. There, the Court held that Ohio’s ban (and refusal to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions)—and all similar state bans—violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In 2004 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 2000 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1999 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
In 1997 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1996 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1993 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1992
Term Limits
In 1992, Ohio voters approved three citizen-initiated constitutional amendments imposing term limits on the state’s congressional delegation, statewide executive officers (other than governor, who had been subject to term limits since 1954), and members of the legislature.
The congressional term limits amendment sought to limit U.S. Senators to two consecutive six-year terms and U.S. Representatives to four consecutive two-year terms. However, the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down state-imposed congressional term limits, holding that states cannot add qualifications beyond those in the U.S. Constitution. This ruling rendered Ohio’s congressional term limits unenforceable, though the language remains in the Ohio Constitution.
The state legislative term limits amendment also produced unintended consequences. It capped service at eight successive years in each chamber—two four-year terms in the Senate and four two-year terms in House—but allowed legislators to switch chambers once termed out and regain eligibility in the other chamber after sitting out of it for at least four years. As a result, lawmakers can alternate between the House and Senate indefinitely.
Ohio House of Representatives chambers. Antony-22.
In 1992 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 2.
Election and term of state legislators
Article III. Executive Section 2.
Term of office of key state officers
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 8.
Term limits for U.S. senators and representatives
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 9.
Eligibility of officeholders
In 1991 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1990 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1989 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1988 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1987 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1985 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1982 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1980 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1979 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
In 1978 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 1g.
Petition requirements and preparation; submission; ballot language; by Ohio ballot board
Article II. Legislative Section 41.
Prison labor
Article III. Executive Section 3.
Counting votes for key state officers
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 4.
County charter commission; election, etc.
1977
Voters End Election-Day and Permanent Voter Registration
In 1977, Ohio voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment ending the state’s brief experiment with election-day (or same-day) registration and permanent voter registration. This change came after the legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto to enact a statute eliminating a 30-day voter residency requirement, allowing election-day registration, and ending a process through which election officials removed people from the voting rolls if they failed to vote in any election for two successive years. (The statute also implemented other changes to make voter registration easier, including allowing eligible voters to request registration forms by telephone or mail and permitting registered voters to distribute and collect voter registration forms. High schools, businesses, and newspapers were encouraged to run voter registration drives.)
The approved amendment, which remains largely in effect today, overrode the parts of the bill related to election-day registration and voter roll maintenance by setting a voter registration deadline of 30 days before an election and requiring re-registration if a voter failed to vote at least once in a four-year period. Voters’ support for this measure may have contributed to the failure of a contemporaneous federal bill to provide for election-day registration nationwide.
In 1977 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1976 the Constitution was Changed 24 Times
Article III. Executive Section 1a.
Joint vote cast for governor and lieutenant
Article III. Executive Section 3.
Counting votes for key state officers
Article III. Executive Section 4.
Election returns
Article III. Executive Section 15.
Succession in case of vacancy in office of governor
Article III. Executive Section 17.
If a vacancy shall occur while executing the office of governor, who shall act
Article III. Executive Section 22.
Supreme Court to determine disability of governor or governor elect; succession
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 1.
Who may vote
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 2a.
Names of candidates on ballot
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 3.
Electors privileged from arrest
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 4.
Exclusion from franchise
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 5.
Who deemed non-residents
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 7.
Primary elections
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 3.
Imposition of taxes
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 4.
Revenue to pay expenses and retire debts
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 7.
Taxation of inheritances
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 8.
Taxation of incomes
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 9.
Apportionment of income, estate, and inheritance taxes
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 10.
Taxation of franchises and production of minerals
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 12.
Excise tax on sale or purchase of food
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 2.
Printing for state
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 5.
Duelists ineligible
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 8.
Bureau of statistics
Article XVII. Elections Section 1.
Time for holding elections; terms of office
Article XVII. Elections Section 2.
Filling vacancies in certain elective offices
In 1974 the Constitution was Changed 5 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 36.
Conservation of natural resources
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2j.
Vietnam conflict compensation fund
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 12.
Superintendent of public works
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 13.
Economic development
Article XVI. Amendments Section 1.
Constitutional amendment proposed by joint resolution of General Assembly; procedure
In 1973 the Constitution was Changed 21 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 4.
Dual office and conflict of interest prohibited
Article II. Legislative Section 6.
Powers of each house
Article II. Legislative Section 7.
Organization of each house of the General Assembly
Article II. Legislative Section 8.
Officers of general assembly; rules; punishment of members, etc.
Article II. Legislative Section 8.
Sessions of the General Assembly
Article II. Legislative Section 9.
House and Senate Journals (yes and nays)
Article II. Legislative Section 11.
Filling vacancy in house or senate seat
Article II. Legislative Section 14.
Power of adjournment
Article II. Legislative Section 15.
Where bills shall originate
Article II. Legislative Section 15.
How bills shall be passed
Article II. Legislative Section 16.
Bills to be signed by governor; veto
Article II. Legislative Section 17.
Signatures to bills
Article II. Legislative Section 18.
Style of laws
Article II. Legislative Section 19.
Exclusion of members from office
Article II. Legislative Section 25.
Sessions of the General Assembly
Article IV. Judicial Section 1.
Judicial power vested in court
Article IV. Judicial Section 4.
Organization and jurisdiction of common pleas court
Article IV. Judicial Section 5.
Powers and duties of Supreme Court; rules
Article IV. Judicial Section 6.
Election of judges; compensation
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 8.
Taxation of incomes
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 6.
Lotteries
In 1972 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1970 the Constitution was Changed 10 Times
Article III. Executive Section 18.
Governor to fill vacancies in key state offices
Article IV. Judicial Section 1.
Judicial power vested in court
Article IV. Judicial Section 2.
Organization and jurisdiction of Supreme Court
Article IV. Judicial Section 3.
Organization and jurisdiction of court of appeals
Article IV. Judicial Section 4.
Organization and jurisdiction of common pleas court
Article IV. Judicial Section 5.
Powers and duties of Supreme Court; rules
Article IV. Judicial Section 6.
Election of judges; compensation
Article IV. Judicial Section 7.
Organization of probate courts
Article IV. Judicial Section 8.
Jurisdiction of the probate courts
Article XVII. Elections Section 2.
Terms of officers; filling vacancies in certain elective offices
1969
Ohio Constitutional Revision Commission
In 1969, three years before Ohio voters would again decide whether to call a constitutional convention, the legislature created the temporary bipartisan Ohio Constitutional Revision Commission. The commission’s task was to study the Ohio Constitution, recommend amendments to the legislature, and prepare guidance if voters approved a convention in 1972.
The commission operated until 1977, issuing reports on a variety of topics and making recommendations to the legislature. Based on the commission’s work, lawmakers placed 20 constitutional amendments on the ballot, 16 of which were approved by voters. Among the most significant changes were the creation of the Ohio Ballot Board to draft ballot language for amendments proposed by lawmakers (1974); the joint election of the governor and lieutenant governor (1976); lowering of the voting age to 18 and repeal of a six-month residency requirement (1976); revisions to the gubernatorial succession plan (1976); expanding the Ballot Board’s authority to include citizen-initiated measures (1978); and streamlining procedures for adopting, amending, and repealing county charters (1978).
In 2011, the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission revived the work of the Ohio Constitutional Revision Commission.
In 1967 the Constitution was Changed 31 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 2.
Election and term of state legislators
Article II. Legislative Section 3.
Residence requirements for state legislators
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Apportionment for members of general assembly
Article XI. Apportionment Section 2.
Ratio in the house
Article XI. Apportionment Section 3.
Ratio in the house
Article XI. Apportionment Section 4.
Ratio in the house
Article XI. Apportionment Section 5.
Ratio in the house
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6.
Ratio for senator
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6a.
Additional senators
Article XI. Apportionment Section 7.
Senatorial districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 8.
Senatorial districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 9.
Senatorial districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 10.
Apportionment of representatives for ten years
Article XI. Apportionment Section 11.
When ratio determined by governor, auditor, etc.
Article XI. Apportionment Section 12.
Judicial Apportionment
Article XI. Apportionment Section 13.
New counties
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Persons responsible for apportionment of state for members of General Assembly
Article XI. Apportionment Section 2.
Ratio of representation in House of Representatives and Senate
Article XI. Apportionment Section 3.
Population of each House of Representatives
Article XI. Apportionment Section 4.
Population in each Senate district
Article XI. Apportionment Section 5.
Representation for each House of Representatives and Senate district
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6.
Creation of district boundaries; change at end of decennial period
Article XI. Apportionment Section 7.
Boundary lines of House of Representatives districts
Article XI. Apportionment Section 8.
Determination of number of House of Representatives districts within each county
Article XI. Apportionment Section 9.
When population of county is fraction of ratio of representation
Article XI. Apportionment Section 10.
Division of state into House of Representatives districts; standards
Article XI. Apportionment Section 11.
Senate districts; formation
Article XI. Apportionment Section 12.
Term of senators on change of district boundaries of Senate
Article XI. Apportionment Section 13.
Jurisdiction of Supreme Court, effect of determination of unconstitutionality; apportionment
Article XI. Apportionment Section 14.
Continuation of present district boundaries
Article XI. Apportionment Section 15.
Severability provision
In 1965 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article IV. Judicial Section 23.
Judges in less populous counties; service on more than one court
Article VI. Education Section 5.
Loans for higher education
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2h.
Bond issue for state development
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 13.
Economic development
In 1964 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1961
Appointments Subject to Senate Confirmation
Although the Ohio legislature had passed a number of laws requiring senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointees, in 1961, the Ohio Supreme Court determined that those laws were unconstitutional based on language in the Ohio Constitution providing that “no appointing power shall be exercised by the General Assembly, except as prescribed in this Constitution.” In response, the legislature quickly referred an amendment to voters to require senate approval for all gubernatorial appointments.
The legislature framed the amendment as restoring the status quo in the wake of the court’s decision, given that “for many years it has been held that such appointments by the governor” were subject to the advice and consent of the senate. The amendment also dictated that senate inaction was equivalent to disapproval, thus requiring a new appointment by the governor. Voters approved the amendment along with three other constitutional amendments addressing continuity of government during emergencies, vacancies in the General Assembly, and age limits for serving in the militia.
Ohio Senate chambers. Columbus Metropolitan Library.
In 1961 the Constitution was Changed 3 Times
In 1959 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
In 1957 the Constitution was Changed 5 Times
Article III. Executive Section 2.
Term of office of key state officers
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 1.
Who may vote
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 3.
County charters; approved by voters
Article XVII. Elections Section 1.
Time for holding elections
Article XVII. Elections Section 2.
Terms of officers; filling vacancies in certain elective offices
In 1956 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 2.
Elections and term of state legislators
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2d.
Korean War veterans' bonuses
Article XI. Apportionment Section 1.
Apportionment for members of the General Assembly
Article XI. Apportionment Section 6a.
Additional senators
In 1955 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1953 the Constitution was Changed 13 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 1.
In whom power vested
Article II. Legislative Section 27.
Election and appointment of officers; filling vacancies
Article VI. Education Section 4.
State board of education
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2a.
Adjusted compensation for war veterans
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2c.
Construction of state highway system
Article IX. Militia Section 1.
Who shall perform military duty
Article IX. Militia Section 2.
Officers of militia
Article XIV. Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Article XIV. Jurisprudence Section 1.
Code commissioners
Article XIV. Jurisprudence Section 2.
Their duties
Article XIV. Jurisprudence Section 3.
Their reports
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 4.
Officers to be qualified electors
Article XVII. Elections Section 3.
Present incumbents
In 1951 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1949 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1948 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1947 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article IV. Judicial Section 7.
Probate courts
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 2b.
Adjusted compensation for service in World War II; World War II veterans' bonuses
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 8.
The commissioners of the sinking fund
Article XVII. Elections Section 2.
Terms of officers; filling vacancies in certain elective offices
In 1945 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1944 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1942 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1937 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1936 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1934 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1933
County Home Rule
In 1933, voters approved an initiated constitutional amendment allowing counties to adopt charters, similar to the authority granted to Ohio cities in 1912. Under the new Article X, a uniform system of government across all counties was no longer required. The amendment set out three different legal bases for county government: general law, optional law, and home rule charter. General law is the default form of county government established by state law. Optional law refers to alternative county government structures enacted by the state legislature and then adopted as charters by a vote in a county. Finally, home rule charters allow counties to design their own systems of government, subject to a vote by the people of the county.
It wasn’t until 1961 that the Ohio legislature adopted the Alternative Form County Government Law, providing for an optional form of county government. Under this alternative structure, counties could increase the number of county commissioners from three (as designated by the default general law) to five, seven or nine; establish a county executive that would take over the executive and administrative tasks normally assigned to the commissioners; allow for the establishment of commissioners of various departments, including welfare, public works, and health; and expressly empower the county to contract with other political subdivisions.
Despite the availability of alternatives to the default law, only two counties——Summit and Cuyahoga—have successfully adopted home rule charters, and none have adopted one of the alternative forms of government devised by the legislature. By contrast, many of Ohio cities have adopted city charters and frequently adopt amendments to those charters.
Flag of Summit County Ohio, noting its status as the state's first charter county. Summit County.
In 1933 the Constitution was Changed 9 Times
Article IV. Judicial Section 16.
Clerks of courts
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 1.
Organization and government of counties; county home rule; submission
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 2.
Township officers; election; power
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 3.
Eligibility for sheriff and treasurer
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 3.
County charters
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 4.
County charter commission
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 6.
Removal of officers
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 7.
Local taxation
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 9.
Intoxicating liquors
In 1931 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
In 1930 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1924 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1923
Removal of “White Male”-Only Voting Requirement
In 1923, Ohio voters approved an amendment removing language that limited the right to vote to “white male” citizens, a restriction that had been in place since the state’s first constitution. This change was largely symbolic, as the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1870 and 1920, had already prohibited voting restrictions based on race and gender. However, other race and gender limitations persisted in the constitution—the word “white” was not removed from the constitutional qualifications for militia service until 1953, and “male” was not removed from the same section until 1962.
In 1923 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1921
Public Debt
The 1851 Constitution imposed a $750,000 limit on the amount of debt the legislature could incur. Rather than changing this cap—which remains in place today—the legislature began seeking voter approval for constitutional amendments to finance major projects backed by the state’s full faith and credit.
The first such measure, approved in 1921, authorized up to $25 million in debt to provide compensation to World War I veterans. Since then, voters have approved more than 20 amendments to the constitution’s public debt article, allowing borrowing for highways, public buildings, low-cost housing, local government aid, and higher education, among other purposes.
In 1921 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1919 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
In 1914 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
In 1913 the Constitution was Changed 61 Times
Article I. Bill of Rights Section 5.
Trial by jury
Article I. Bill of Rights Section 10.
Trial for crimes; witness
Article I. Bill of Rights Section 16.
Redress for injury; Due process
Article I. Bill of Rights Section 19a.
Damages for wrongful death
Article II. Legislative Section 8.
Rules and rights of punishment and expulsion
Article II. Legislative Section 16.
Bills to be signed by governor; veto
Article II. Legislative Section 33.
Mechanics' and contractors' liens
Article II. Legislative Section 34.
Welfare of employees
Article II. Legislative Section 35.
Workers' compensation
Article II. Legislative Section 36.
Conservation of natural resources
Article II. Legislative Section 37.
Workday and workweek on public projects
Article II. Legislative Section 38.
Removal of officials for misconduct
Article II. Legislative Section 39.
Regulating expert testimony in criminal trials
Article II. Legislative Section 40.
Registering and warranting land titles
Article II. Legislative Section 41.
Prison labor
Article III. Executive Section 8.
Governor may convene special session of legislature with limited purposes
Article IV. Judicial Section 1.
Judicial power vested in court
Article IV. Judicial Section 2.
The Supreme Court
Article IV. Judicial Section 3.
The common pleas
Article IV. Judicial Section 6.
Court of appeals
Article IV. Judicial Section 7.
Probate courts
Article IV. Judicial Section 9.
Justices of the peace
Article IV. Judicial Section 12.
Common plea judges; term of office, and residence
Article IV. Judicial Section 15.
Changing number of judges; establishing other courts
Article V. Elective Franchise Section 7.
Primary elections
Article VI. Education Section 3.
Public school system, boards of education
Article VI. Education Section 4.
Superintendent of public instruction
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 6.
Counties, cities, towns, or townships, not authorized to become stockholders, etc.; insurance, etc.
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 12.
Superintendent of public works
Article VIII. Public Debt and Public Works Section 13.
Board of public works
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 1.
Poll taxes prohibited
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 2.
Taxation by uniform rule; exemption
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 6.
No debt for internal improvement
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 7.
Taxation of inheritances
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 8.
Taxation of incomes
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 9.
Apportionment of inheritance and income tax
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 10.
Taxation of franchises and production of minerals
Article XII. Finance and Taxation Section 11.
Sinking fund
Article XIII. Corporations Section 2.
Corporations, how formed
Article XIII. Corporations Section 3.
Dues from corporations, how secured; double liability of state banks and inspection of private banks
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 2.
Printing for state
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 9.
Intoxicating liquors
Article XV. Miscellaneous Section 10.
Civil service
Article XVI. Amendments Section 1.
Constitutional amendment proposed by joint resolution of General Assembly; procedure
Article XVI. Amendments Section 2.
Constitutional amendment proposed by convention; procedure
Article XVI. Amendments Section 3.
Question of constitutional convention to be submitted periodically
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations
Municipal Corporations
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 1.
Classification
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 2.
General laws for incorporation and government of municipalities; additional laws; referendum
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 3.
Municipal powers
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 4.
Acquisition of public utility; contract for service; condemnation
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 5.
Referendum on acquiring or operating municipal utility
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 6.
Sale of surplus product of municipal utility
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 7.
Home rule; municipal charter
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 8.
Submission of question of election of charter commission; approval
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 9.
Amendments to charter; submission; approval
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 10.
Appropriation in excess of public use
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 11.
Assessments for cost of appropriating property
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 12.
Bonds for public utilities
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 13.
Taxation, debts, reports, and accounts
Article XVIII. Municipal Corporations Section 14.
Municipal Elections
1912
Fourth Constitutional Convention
Growing political pressure for reform pushed the legislature to place a convention question on the ballot in 1910—a year earlier than required by the “each twentieth year” provision of the 1851 constitution. Voters approved the call by an overwhelming margin of more than 10 to 1, leading to the state’s 1912 Constitutional Convention, the state’s fourth—and most recent—constitutional convention.
Rather than drafting an entirely new constitution, as the 1873-74 convention unsuccessfully proposed, delegates proposed 42 separate amendments, 34 of which voters ultimately approved.
One of the most significant changes was the introduction of direct democracy, including giving voters the power to directly propose constitutional amendments and statutes and to put statues passed by the legislature to a referendum vote. The goal was to make lawmakers more responsive and to provide an alternative when the legislature would not act. Still, voters have often been skeptical of initiated measures, approving only about one-fourth of citizen-initiated constitutional amendments since 1912.
Another major change removed the majority-of-all-voters requirement for approving amendments proposed by the legislature. A proposed amendment would now pass if it received “a majority of the electors voting on the same” rather than an absolute majority of the votes cast in the general election.
Other significant reforms included a grant of home rule to municipalities; a restriction the supreme court’s power to invalidate legislation; and workers’ rights protections, such as an eight-hour workday on public works, abolition of prison contract labor, authorization for minimum wage and safety standards, and damages for wrongful death, workers’ compensation.
Among the eight rejected amendments were proposals that would have banned the death penalty, limited injunction in labor disputes, eliminated the state’s “white male”-only voting restriction, and granted women the right to vote. Women’s suffrage also failed in subsequent ballot initiatives in 1914 and 1917 and was not achieved in Ohio until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Herbert S. Bigelow, president of the convention, 1912. Bain News Service.
In 1912 the Constitution was Changed 12 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 1.
In whom power vested
Article II. Legislative Section 1a.
Initiative and referendum to amend constitution
Article II. Legislative Section 1b.
Initiative and referendum to enact laws
Article II. Legislative Section 1c.
Referendum to challenge laws enacted by General Assembly
Article II. Legislative Section 1d.
Emergency laws; not subject to referendum
Article II. Legislative Section 1e.
Powers; limitation of use
Article II. Legislative Section 1f.
Power of municipalities
Article II. Legislative Section 1g.
Petition requirements and preparation; submission; ballot language
Schedule
Schedules 1851 Constitution
Schedules 1912 Constitution
Schedules 1912 Constitution
Schedules 1912 Constitution
General schedule
Schedules 1912 Constitution
Method of submission
In 1906 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1903
Governor’s Veto
In contrast to the framers of the U.S. Constitution, the framers of the first Ohio Constitution were opposed to the executive veto. This dislike stemmed from their opposition to the British system, which, at the time, allowed the monarch to veto bills of Parliament, as well as the territory’s experience with the absolute gubernatorial veto authorized by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Territorial Governor Arthur St. Clair refused to return vetoed bills to the territorial legislature, reasoning that the veto power was absolute and would be undermined if he stated his objections and allowed the legislature a chance to amend the vetoed bills to address those objections. The controversy over Governor St. Clair’s vetoes was so great that, in 1801, he was nearly assaulted by “a mob of very respectable citizens.”
Ohio’s original constitutional convention took place just a year later. No delegate proposed the inclusion of an executive veto in the state’s first constitution. Hostility to the gubernatorial veto persisted through the 1850-1851 Constitutional Convention, which voted against the inclusion of a veto that could be overridden by a simple majority vote by the legislature. However, by the 1874 Constitutional Convention, sentiments had changed enough that, after bitter debate, the drafters of the proposed constitution included the veto power. Proponents argued that the legislature needed a check and that the absence of the veto power had resulted in statute books largely filled with repealed statutes “enacted through hasty legislation” and “of questionable constitutionality.” Voters, however, rejected the proposed constitution.
Despite voters’ rejection of the 1874 constitution, supporters of the executive veto continued to push for it. For the two decades leading up to 1902, legislators attempted to place a veto amendment on the ballot at nearly every legislative session. Voters finally approved a gubernatorial veto in 1903. This veto power was expansive—if a bill had two or more sections, or two or more items of appropriations, the governor could veto the sections or items individually. Furthermore, although the legislature could override the governor’s veto with a two-thirds vote, if the override vote received fewer votes in either house than the bill received when it originally passed, the vote would fail.
Just three years after the amendment’s adoption, the legislature proposed an amendment that eliminated the requirement that the override vote receive at least as many votes as the bill originally received. Although every county voted in favor of the amendment, the amendment failed to meet the majority-of-all-voters threshold required for constitutional amendments. It wasn’t until 1912 that the provision was amended to rebalance the veto power between the governor and the legislature. The 1912 amendments, which became effective in 1913, lowered the veto override threshold to a three-fifths vote, eliminated the requirement that the override vote totals equal or exceed the bill’s original vote totals, and limited the governor’s line-item veto power to appropriations bills.
Then-Governor George K. Nash, 1903. Baker's Art Gallery.
In 1885 the Constitution was Changed 4 Times
Article II. Legislative Section 2.
Election and term of state legislators
Article III. Executive Section 1.
Executive department; key state officers
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 2.
Election of county officers
Article X. County and Township Organizations Section 4.
Election of township officers
In 1883 the Constitution was Changed 5 Times
In 1875 the Constitution was Changed 1 Time
1873
Third Constitutional Convention
As required by the 1851 constitution, voters were asked in 1871 whether to hold a constitutional convention, and they approved the call. This led to the state’s third constitutional convention, which met from 1873 to 1874.
After voters approved the 1871 convention call, delegates were elected and met from May to August 1873 and again from December 1873 to May 1874. The convention proposed a new constitution along with three separate amendments addressing minority political party representation on the courts, aid to railroads, and liquor regulation. However, the convention’s drawn-out process worked against it—as one observer notes, it lasted “so long that people grew suspicious.” Additionally, the proposed constitution was “long and detailed” and “appeared to have something to offend almost everyone.” In August 1874, nearly three years after approving the convention call, voters rejected both the proposed constitution and all three amendments.
1857
First Attempt to Amend the 1851 Constitution Fails
In 1857, the legislature used its new power under the 1851 constitution to refer constitutional amendments to voters for the first time. Lawmakers submitted five proposals that addressed a range of issues, such as annual legislative sessions, bank taxes, and redistricting. Each proposal received overwhelming support from those voting on them, but all five failed because of the approval threshold set by the 1851 constitution: amendments needed approval from a majority of all voters in the election, not just a majority of those who voted on the amendment questions themselves.
The majority-of-all-voters requirement proved to be a major obstacle to constitutional change. Between 1852 and 1911—before the rule was changed—voters approved only 11 of 37 amendments proposed by the legislature. Of the 26 that failed, 19 received a majority from voters who voted on the proposal. Frustration with this rule later helped fuel the push for the 1912 constitutional convention.
1851
Second Constitution
After voters approved a convention call in 1849, delegates were elected and met in Columbus from May to July 1850 and again from December 1850 to March 1851 to draft a second constitution. Voters approved the new constitution in June 1851.
The 1851 constitution addressed several concerns about the first constitution. It placed new limits on the legislature and expanded the governor’s powers, though the governor still did not receive veto authority. It also created the office of lieutenant governor and added an intermediate appellate court to ease the Ohio Supreme Court’s workload.
The document notably shifted power to the people by making key offices elected by voters rather than appointed by lawmakers, including the secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, and judges on the Ohio Supreme Court, the new Court of Appeals, and the common pleas courts.
The 1851 constitution also made future constitutional revisions somewhat easier. It allowed the legislature to propose constitutional amendments to voters by a two-thirds majority, though these proposals had to be approved by a majority of all voters participating in the election, not just a majority of those who voted on the amendment itself. In addition, it required that, every 20 years, voters be asked whether to hold a constitutional convention, instead of relying solely on the legislature to initiate the convention process.
The 1851 constitution remains in effect today, though it has been amended more than 170 times.
View of Cincinnati, Ohio from Covington, Kentucky, 1851. Robert Seldon Duncanson.
In 1851 the Constitution was Changed 2 Times
1803
First Constitution
Ohio’s first constitution was written and approved at a convention in Chillicothe in November 1802 and was then presented to Congress and President Thomas Jefferson in early 1803. It consisted of a preamble and eight articles, including a bill of rights placed at the end.
Structurally, the 1802 constitution concentrated most of the state’s political power in the legislature. The governor had no veto power, so legislators could pass laws without the executive branch’s involvement. Lawmakers also appointed nearly all major state officers, including the secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, and judges for the Ohio Supreme Court and courts of common pleas. Over time, this concentration of power—combined with financial crises like the Panic of 1837—eroded public trust in the legislature.
The judiciary also faced growing challenges under the original constitution, which required the Ohio Supreme Court to hold court in every county each year. That was feasible at first when Ohio had nine counties and fewer than 45,000 people. However, by 1850, the state had 87 counties and nearly 2 million residents, creating an unmanageable workload for the court.
Changing the constitution to address these structural problems was difficult. Amendments could only happen through a constitutional convention, which first required a two-thirds vote in the legislature and then voter approval. Voters rejected a convention in 1819, and later attempts in 1844, 1846, and 1847 failed in the legislature. Finally, in 1849, lawmakers put the question on the ballot. Voters said yes, and a convention followed in 1850 and 1851, resulting in a new constitution.
The First State House of Ohio, Chillicothe, 1800. Columbus Metropolitan Library.
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