BELLEFONTAINE — The Ohio Supreme Court has blocked a local city’s vote to ban public drag shows within the city limits, according to court documents.
Bellefontaine residents were expecting the ban to be on the November ballot.
>>RELATED: Local community files ballot initiative to ban public drag performances
The court found that Secretary of State Frank LaRose and the Logan County Board of Elections abused their discretion and didn’t follow the law when they allowed the measure to proceed.
Those who supported the ordinance to ban public drag performances collected signatures on a state-mandated petition to get the issue on the ballot. Supporters switched the petition’s cover page after it was signed by community members and before they sent it to election officials.
The Supreme Court ruling said this alone violated the law, as the “text” and “title” of a state-mandated petition signed by voters seeking a ballot issue must be the same as what is submitted to election officials.
LaRose said the switch was not legally significant and that the new ordinance language was a “header” instead of a “title.”
He said the reclassification of drag artists and shows to “Adult Cabaret Performance” was the measure’s title.
>> RELATED: Ohio Republicans introduce bill aiming to restrict drag performances
The Ohio Supreme Court ruling rejected his argument as state law doesn’t use the term “header” at all.
The ruling read, “Even if we were to accept Secretary LaRose’s conclusion that the proposed ordinance already had a title, that fact would not obviate the problem created by petitioners’ alteration of the part-petitions and their addition of another title.”
This ruling comes days before early voting for the Nov. 7 election.