In light of all the high profile politicians soon to be awaiting the fate of a jury of their peers, I feel like that is not an excuse for not voting anymore. Think about it, you could be sitting in on high level classified documents being presented as evidence or maybe even convict a former President. Jokes aside, I digress, as this is intended to raise awareness of the importance of our Ohio special election in August, and this is a rare case in which direct democracy via the vote may be swift.

I will be voting absentee, as I usually do, as Donald Trump did in his ill advised time in Washington, as many Americans rightfully do. Early turnout numbers seem promising, but this is not one to sit out or assume the right side will prevail. This special election is a shot across the bow by the ridiculous and unrepresentative Ohio State legislature who is trying to push a special election through when they think the least amount of people will participate. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, ‘Ohio, we need to be more like Kansas’ and send a resounding message to the religious right: Get your ignorant hands off my rights.

A ‘No’ vote this August with a significant majority will signal a clear message that can be followed almost immediately by ballot initiatives in November for abortion access and responsible marijuana legislation in the state. Not a fan of the ‘Jazz Cabbage?’ That’s fine, don’t vote to legalize it. Abortion access however is something that every American has a right to under the constitution’s privacy clause, regardless of what justices Beer Can, Private Jet, Godly Wife, and Chief Justice Spineless wrote in the Dobbs case.

More than anything, I want Ohio to not become Florida, we are reasonable people. In a democracy, a majority vote needs to mean a decision of the people. There is no ideological message behind voting no on issue 1, only that you want your vote to continue to matter. Dissolution and disgust of the system is understandable, but is not an excuse for not making your voice heard on August 8th. If you got the reference in the title, I’ll leave you with this: ‘Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!’ Just fucking vote Ohio!