Ohio Constitution Section 15.11

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.^[1] Approved as a constitutional amendment in 2004 under the name of "Issue One", it received support from 61.7% of voters.^[2]

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.^[3]

The LGBT rights organization Equality Ohio was founded in response to the passage of Issue 1.^[4]

Results

Issue 1[5]
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	3,329,335	61.71
No	2,065,462	38.29
Total votes	5,394,797	100.00
Registered voters and turnout	8,427,696	64.01

County breakdown

Breakdown of voting by county^[5]

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

1. Official Ballot Language, Ohio Secretary of State. Accessed 21 December 2006.
2. CNN.com Election 2004 - Ballot Measures Accessed 30 November 2006.
3. Ohio Constitution, Article XV, section 11. Accessed 21 December 2006.
4. Glassman, Anthony (2005-03-11). "Out of Issue 1, a new statewide group is born". Gay People's Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
5. "State Issue 1: November 2, 2004". Ohio Secretary of State.

External links

• The Money Behind the 2004 Marriage Amendments -- National Institute on Money in State Politics