Poll: Ohioans Overwhelmingly Support State Issue 1

Columbus – A new poll released today shows State Issue 1, the victims’ rights constitutional amendment known as Marsy’s Law, enjoys overwhelming support from Ohio voters in all regions of the state.

The survey, commissioned by Marsy’s Law for Ohio, found 71 percent of likely voters support State Issue 1 when first asked their opinion on the state constitutional amendment. Voter support increases to an astounding 84 percent after respondents received additional basic information about the ballot measure.

Overall, 86 percent of women and 81 percent men surveyed say they plan to vote for State Issue 1. The measure also has broad bipartisan support with 81 percent of Democrats, 86 percent of Republicans and 85 percent of independents supporting the constitutional amendment.

“This poll mirrors the strong support State Issue 1 has received from victim advocates, elected officials and law enforcement leaders across Ohio,” said Trevor Vessels, Marsy’s Law for Ohio state director. “Most Ohioans believe ensuring crime victims receive fair and equal treatment throughout the justice process is not only a reasonable expectation, it should also be a constitutional right.”

The survey of 601 likely voters was conducted from August 20 to 26, 2017 by Palomar Survey Research. It has a +/- 4 percent margin of error. Respondents were contacted by live telephone operators. Forty percent of responses came from cell phones.

State Issue 1 also enjoys broad bipartisan support from more than 300 elected officials and law enforcement leaders, including Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

If voters approve the proposal bringing equal rights to crime victims this fall, State Issue 1 would grant a series of constitutional protections to crime victims and their immediate families for the first time in Ohio’s history.

Under the amendment, crime victims would have the right to notification of all proceedings as well as be guaranteed the right to be heard at every step of the process. Victims would also have the right to have input on all plea deals for offenders as well as the right to restitution resulting from the financial impact of the crime.

The effort to place State Issue 1 in the state constitution comes after similar ballot issues were approved in California, Illinois, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Marsy’s Law movement began in 1983, when a young woman named Marsy Nicholas was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend. Only a week after her murder, Marsy’s mother and brother, Henry T. Nicholas, walked into a grocery store where they saw the accused murderer. The family, who had just come from a visit to Marsy’s grave, had no idea the accused murderer had been released on bail.

###