CLEVELAND (WJW) – The political battleground in Ohio is heating up as voters inch closer to deciding if abortion should be legal in the state.

In six cities across the Buckeye state, Issue 1 supporters rallied on Sunday to generate support for reproductive rights.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio Director of Communications Diamond Crumby said many in Ohio are still unaware an election is upcoming.

“Ohioans need to know to vote yes on Issue 1 to stop the life-threatening abortion ban from coming back,” Crumby said. “This is the only way that we can protect women and their families so that they can have the power to decide and make personal medical decisions without government interference.”

Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would grant reproductive rights to medical treatment including abortion and protections for women seeking the procedure.

Created Equal is a Pro-life organization that’s running the door-to-door campaign against Issue 1. President Mark Harrington said it should not pass because innocent lives are at stake.

“Issue 1 basically wipes out all the commonsense limitations that have been put on abortion restrictions, regulations,” Harrington said. “It would legalize abortion right up until the very moment of birth and I don’t think Ohioans are in support of that.”

Back in August, Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot issue that would have made it harder to amend Ohio’s constitution – a move aimed to block any reproductive rights amendments from hitting the ballot this year. Pro-choice advocates are hoping that momentum will carry over to the polls on Nov. 7.

“The broad number of people all across the state showed up in support of Issue 1 because Ohioans support abortion access,” Crumby said. “We want small government. We don’t want government making decisions, personal decisions, especially in regards to abortion, miscarriage, care or contraception.”

Harrington said legal abortion has no place in Ohio. 

“This is not something that should be in the Ohio Constitution, just as our U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that it’s not a constitutional right, it should not be enshrined in the state of Ohio Constitution either,” he said.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Early voting starts the following day and election day is Nov. 7.