Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Cincinnati Right to Life is not an official partner of Ohio Right to Life. Instead, Cincinnati Right to Life is a member organization of The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, a political advocacy group that Cincinnati Right to Life formed in 2017 that promotes “pro-life” political candidates and legislation.
The white and black “CHOOSE LIFE” signs that have dotted countless Cincinnati yards, fences and windows for years will now be considered official campaign signage during the Nov. 7 election.
Alex Linser, deputy director of elections for the Hamilton County Board of Elections (BOE) told CityBeat that, like any campaign signage, “CHOOSE LIFE” signs will need to remain at least 100 feet from polling place entrances come Nov. 7, including the dozens of churches that double as polling locations.
“The rule is that a sign is a campaign sign or campaign paraphernalia when it is advocating for or against a candidate or issue that is currently on the ballot,” Linser told CityBeat. “With a constitutional amendment about abortion on the ballot, I have a hard time understanding how a ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ sign could be anything other than a political statement.”
Why now?
Ohio voters will vote “Yes” or “No” on a constitutional amendment regarding reproductive health on Nov. 7. The amendment, titled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom With Protections for Health and Safety,” would protect a patient’s right to get an abortion before fetal viability, or when a fetus has a “significant likelihood of survival outside the uterus with reasonable measures.” Post-viability abortions, which are already extremely rare, could still take place if the pregnant patient’s physician believes it’s necessary to protect the life of their patient. Abortion access has been in flux in Ohio and across the country since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Related
Ohioans Will Vote On Abortion Rights on Nov. 7
Where do all the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs come from?
The “CHOOSE LIFE” signs may pop up in some neighborhoods more than others, but they’re ubiquitous in Cincinnati – displayed prominently on the fences of Elder and Seton High Schools, zip tied to light poles outside some gas stations, and a large version of the sign hangs on the side of Downtown’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains.
There’s little variation to the sign seen around town; that’s because they’re mostly coming from one place.
Cincinnati Right to Life, a former partner of the anti-abortion Ohio Right to Life organization, distributes the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs for free from their North College Hill office on Galbraith Road. Cincinnati Right to Life is a member organization of The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, a political advocacy group that Cincinnati Right to Life formed in 2017 that promotes “pro-life” political candidates and legislation.
Laura Strietmann, executive director of Cincinnati Right to Life, declined to tell CityBeat how many signs their office routinely passes out.
“I would never share how busy our office is peacefully and legally promoting the protection of pre-born people,” Strietmann told CityBeat.
She also said the organization doesn’t know exactly how or when the Cincinnati Right to Life’s “CHOOSE LIFE” sign campaign started in Cincinnati.
“No one can quite recall the exact origin of the movement of the signs and how and who began printing them or how many,” Strietmann said. “It is just part of the fabric of the pro-life movement and has been for many years.”
The Catholic component
A longtime power figure in that local movement is the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is Cincinnati’s network of Catholic churches. Cincinnati’s Archbishop, Rev. Dennis Schnurr, has been actively campaigning against the November abortion amendment.
“Ohio does not need a constitutional amendment that only perpetuates violence and a culture of death. I urge Catholics and all people of goodwill to pray earnestly for the defeat of this extreme amendment; to educate yourselves and your family and friends about the dangers of the proposed amendment; and to vote NO on November 7,” Schnurr wrote in an Aug. 12 press release.
The Archbishop goes on to echo the repeatedly debunked arguments of “Protect Women Ohio,” an anti-abortion organization campaigning for “No” votes this November, specifically about “parental rights.”
“The vague language in the amendment opens the door to anyone under 18 having an abortion, or even beginning cross-sex hormone treatment, without parental consent or notification,” Shnurr said. “Some may insist that the Catholic Church should not be involved in politics. However, the defense of life and care for women compels our participation in this critical moral issue.”
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati told CityBeat the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs aren’t campaign signs, and that Catholic churches and schools will continue to sport them on election day.
“There are no plans to remove the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs from polling locations on Nov. 7,” said Jennifer Schack, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “The Catholic Church will always work to uphold the dignity of all human life, this includes supporting women and families in need of help and being the voice of the unborn child encouraging all to choose life.”
When asked if the BOE plans to tell polling locations they cannot place “CHOOSE LIFE” signs within 100 feet of polling location entrances on Nov.7, Linser said it’s in the works.
“Yes. We are working on that,” Linser told CityBeat. “We are working on a communication to our polling locations to just remind them of these rules as we anticipate a lot of questions about it this November.”
Once CityBeat relayed Linser’s statement on the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs to Schack, she said “leadership at the pastoral center is researching the requirements of state law to ensure adherence at all of our institutions that are polling locations.”
Religious polling locations by the numbers
When analyzing the BOE list of polling places, CityBeat found nearly half of all polling locations in Hamilton County are religiously-based.
Of the 296 polling locations in Hamilton County, 138 are churches or private religious schools, and 21 of those are listed online as Catholic.
Not all churches in Cincinnati have a “CHOOSE LIFE” sign on their property – several denominations of Christianity view abortion as a choice made by the pregnant person, and much of the Jewish faith believes life begins at first breath.
Linser said the reason so many polling locations are churches is because of the long list of requirements polling locations need to fulfill.
“We need a little over 300 polling locations in each county,” Lisner said. “There are a series of requirements that we need to make sure those buildings have sufficient parking, that there is a big enough space to hold the voting equipment and for the voters to be able to get in and get out easily. And those buildings have to be compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act. So finding a facility essentially in every neighborhood in Hamilton County that meets those requirements, means that a lot of times a church or religious building is going to be the only building in the area that hits those key requirements.”
Campaigning around the 100 foot rule
Just because the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs will be considered campaign signs on Nov. 7 doesn’t mean they can’t be on display at polling places; there are just limits as to where anti-abortion advocates can plant them in the ground.
“Ohio law prohibits political campaigning within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling location,” Linser told CityBeat. “The voters must be able to come and go without any campaigning or interference.”
The 100 foot rule applies to anything campaign related: signs, protesters, even a voter wearing a button in support of their issue or candidate will be asked to cover it up while voting. If a campaigner steps within 100 feet of the polling location entrance, or if a sign is left within that 100 feet, an elections official will ask them to move.
“When those buildings are serving as polling locations, they are serving a public function, and it’s really important that any citizen who wants to engage in political campaigning is able to exercise their free speech rights without harassment,” Linser said. “It is our responsibility as the Board of Elections to enforce that 100 foot rule. Our poll workers are the first line in enforcing that. So, if they see someone campaigning in the electioneering zone, they will ask them to move.”
Preparing for a big election
With abortion and recreational marijuana on the Nov. 7 ballot, Linser said the BOE is preparing for a big turnout, and potentially more campaigning than usual.
“We know that issues really motivate voters to turn out. And these are two highly controversial issues that a lot of voters have passionate opinions about,” Linser said. “We are planning for a very high turnout this November. Normally in odd numbered years when it’s municipal elections we don’t see a lot of voter participation, but we’re treating this like an even numbered year in terms of what we’re planning for.”
Linser said the Hamilton County BOE is in need of more poll workers in order to pull off a smooth and successful Nov. 7 election. Some of those poll workers are known as “troubleshooters” who are specially trained to de-escalate conflict at polling locations.
“It’s pretty common for us to receive a call on election day that there is a dispute over where campaigners can stand outside the polling location,” he said. “We’ll send a troubleshooter out there, they have a tape measure, they will measure 100 feet from the door, they will make a definitive ruling over where the campaigners can stand. They’ll talk to all the parties there to make sure they all agree on what the rule requires. They’re trained on de-escalating conflict.”
Just because there are rules about where people can campaign outside of polling locations doesn’t mean you can’t stump for your cause or candidate publicly, including at polling locations on private properties. Linser said it’s important to remember this ahead of an election with heightened emotions.
“I do expect it will be more controversial in November,” he said. “Campaigning is a part of the democratic process and we have always asked our polling locations, especially the ones that are on private property, on the days when they are serving as polling locations, they’re serving a public function to facilitate democracy. We ask them that they treat all campaigners the same. We cannot be in the business of deciding who gets to exercise their free speech rights and who does not.”
Where to vote, what to bring
If you live in Hamilton County, there’s a slight chance your polling location has moved since the last time you voted. These are the polling locations that have recently moved:
- Cincinnati 12E at the Corryville Library has moved to the Corryville Recreation Center at 2823 Eden Avenue.
- Cincinnati 8C at Playhouse in the Park has moved to the Cincinnati Park Board at 950 Eden Park Drive.
- Indian Hill A and B have moved from the Indian Hill Church to the Madeira-Indian Hill Fire Department at 6475 Drake Road.
- Springfield Township G and Z have moved from the Springfield Township Arts Connect Center to the Northminster Presbyterian Church at 703 Compton Road.
A controversial new law requires voters to present a valid ID to vote in person in Hamilton County. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Ohio driver’s license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- U.S. passport or passport card
- U.S. military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed
- A photograph of the voter
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the poll list or in the poll book.
Follow CityBeat’s staff news writer Madeline Fening on Twitter and Instagram.
Subscribe to CityBeat newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Ohioans Will Vote On Abortion Rights on Nov. 7
Guest Commentary: LaRose Pushes Unfair, Inaccurate Language on Ohio Reproductive Rights Amendment
Ohio Sec. of State LaRose Has Flagged 641 Cases of Voter Fraud. Less Than 3% Resulted in Charges
Ohio Issue 1: Attacks on Parental Rights Do Not Appear in Amendment
For Some Religious Ohioans, Issue 1 About Autonomy More Than Beliefs
With Abortion and Weed on the Ballot, Early Voting Numbers in Hamilton County are Huge
This article appears in Aug 23 – Sep 5, 2023.