‘It’s a killer. We’re done’: Covid-19 puts ballot initiatives in peril
Social distancing measures are making it impossible for organizers to gather signatures they need to put key reforms on state ballots
March was supposed to be a big month for James Hayes.
He and other organizers with Ohioans for Raising the Wage have been campaigning to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage – currently $8.70 an hour – to $13. The organizers planned to be stationed at the polls throughout the state during the primary election to get voters , already in a civic mindset, to sign petitions to help them get the measure on the ballot. They need to gather 442,958 signatures by 1 July to make that happen.