Genevieve Pfister, Staff Writer—
Catlin Cornish ‘24, Addy Pittenger ‘24 and Ellie Meynardie ‘24 are spearheading the Campaign for YES on Ohio Issue 1 as part of their work with the Feminist Majority Foundation, a national organization that supports women in politics and advocates for women’s issues and feminist causes in the U.S. As part of this effort, the FMF also keeps an eye on relevant state-level legislation.
“They are always on the hunt for gender issues such as Ohio Issue 1 that greatly affects women,” Meynardie explained. “The goal . . . is to get the word out about feminist issues and make sure that people are voting in favor of their own interests.”
Cornish, Pittenger, and Meynardie were all hired directly by the Foundation to organize a campus campaign and encourage students to vote on Ohio Issue 1. Their work includes various forms of outreach and engagement, including tabling, flyers, and posts to their Instagram, @du.yes.ohio1. Cornish is the coordinator for three campuses: Denison, Oberlin, and Kenyon, handling administrative work and communicating with both students and the Foundation while Pittenger and Meynardie focus on Denison’s campus.
Ohioans already voted on another state issue of the same name, “Ohio Issue I,” which was voted on in August of this year. Though they share a name, the two are very distinct. Pittenger cleared up the confusion:
“The previous Issue 1 in August was a referendum for the Ohio constitution . . . so how to add amendments, how to take away [amendments], and how to essentially change Ohio’s constitution” Pittenger said. “If that passed, which it didn’t, it would have made amending the Ohio constitution a lot more difficult. Therefore, it would have made . . . the new Issue I, which you should vote yes on, a lot harder to pass.”
The upcoming Issue 1, she explained, will help expand reproductive rights, give Ohioans more access to reproductive products, and help prevent the penalization of abortion. It, in summary, “protects, grants, and codifies access to abortion care in Ohio,” Meynardie added.
Pittenger also wanted to make clear that “If you have any old signs, take those out and make sure the sign you’re putting in says ‘Yes’ for this particular Issue 1 . . .”
Cornish also pointed out that the language of the bill would only allow the state to prohibit an abortion after the fetus becomes viable or is able to survive outside the uterus, and only if the pregnant person’s physician determines that their health or life is not at risk.
“No one is getting an abortion once the fetus is viable because they don’t want to have a kid,” Meynardie said. At that stage, Cornish said, the pregnant person is likely getting an abortion due to a medical issue or risk to their life.
If anyone wants to get involved with their work, Cornish and Meynardie said that they are actively looking for volunteers. Interested students can stay up to date via their Instagram and stay tuned for opportunities there to volunteer. They are also looking for classes they can talk to about Issue 1, and they are also open to collaborating with other campus organizations. They also encourage students to talk to their professors about Issue 1, take the time to do research, learn more about the legislation, and make sure to vote.
For anyone looking for resources on creating a plan to vote Nov. 7, they recommend reaching out to DU Votes, Denison’s nonpartisan, non-affiliated civic engagement group.