©  AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson

Ohio voters are deciding today on a ballot measure to raise the threshold needed for future changes to the state’s constitution, setting the stage for a fight over abortion rights later this year.

Tuesday’s vote could have major implications for a November ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution. If Issue 1 passes this week, the threshold to enact future changes will be raised from a simple majority to 60 percent. 

“Those on both sides of Issue 1 have said they expect higher turnout than usual for a special election” due to the attention it’s gotten, The Hill’s Jared Gans reports.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in June that the August special election could go forward despite a state law limiting the circumstances in which August elections can be held. The court ruled the state constitution gives lawmakers authority to set the election date.

GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence, who was governor of neighboring Indiana before serving as vice president, said in a campaign video, “For years, left-wing interests have abused the constitutional amendment process in Ohio to get their extreme agenda into law, but the Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment will put an end to that.”

More from Gans: “Referenda have been held in a half-dozen states on abortion access questions over the past year. In each of those votes, the side in favor of abortion rights won.”

Polls close in Ohio at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Read more on Ohio’s special election here. 

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

• Here’s a breakdown of charges Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) could be gearing up to bring against former President Trump in the investigation into his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

• The Supreme Court agreed to pause a lower court ruling invalidating the Biden administration‘s restrictions on “ghost guns” pending the administration’s appeal, meaning the restrictions go into effect.
  
  

• State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D), one of three Tennessee House members who participated in a gun violence demonstration on the chamber floor earlier this year, launched an exploratory committee for a potential 2024 Senate run. The two other lawmakers involved were expelled but won special elections last week to complete their terms. 

©  Jabin Botsford/Washington Post/Getty Images

Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office, argued House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is caving to far-right members of the Republican Conference with attacks on President Biden.

Sams said McCarthy on Fox News last night “continued lying about President Biden — making a series of plainly false, widely debunked attacks in order to promote the extreme far right’s baseless impeachment stunt that even some members of McCarthy’s own caucus are expressing concerns about pursuing.”

McCarthy said the Biden administration, like the Nixon administration, used the government to obstruct congressional investigations and mentioned bribery allegations made by House Republicans. The White House has denied the obstruction and bribery allegations. Read more here.

Talking to supporters in Windham, N.H., on Tuesday, former President Trump commented on charges the Justice Department has brought against him in recent months over his handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Trump said, “How can my corrupt political opponent, crooked Joe Biden, put me on trial during an election campaign that I’m winning by a lot, but forcing me nevertheless to spend time and money away from the campaign trial in order to fight bogus, made up accusations and charges?”

Trump has alleged the various charges against him are designed to harm his prospects in the 2024 election. President Biden has maintained he has no contact with the Justice Department about its investigations into Trump.

Trump also noted that “Crooked Joe” is now his preferred nickname for the president: “I took it away from Hillary [Clinton], and we call him Crooked Joe. Instead of Sleepy Joe, we call him Crooked Joe.”

In Arizona today, President Biden formally designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument and discussed the administration’s climate actions.

From The Hill’s Zack Budryk: “The new monument protects just under 1 million acres, slightly under the 1.1 million acres called for by tribal leaders, who hold the area sacred. The area will be protected from all new uranium mining, extending a 20-year prohibition established in 2012 under the Obama administration.”

Read more from Budryk here.

©  Map: Alix Martichoux / Nexstar Source: CDC Get the data Created with Datawrapper

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 rose by more than 12 percent for a second consecutive week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Several states have seen a greater than 20 percent increase in hospitalizations from the week prior.

Jill Rosenthal, director of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, told The Hill, “We have had a summer wave of COVID for the last few summers, and so it’s not surprising to see an increase in COVID right now.” Read more here.

Presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has a new campaign manager: his gubernatorial chief of staff, James Uthmeier. It’s “the biggest shakeup yet for a candidate who has so far struggled to gain momentum in the polls,” The Hill’s Julia Manchester wrote.

For example, a new NH Journal/co-efficient poll found former President Trump with 43 percent in New Hampshire, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and DeSantis tied for second at 9 percent. This is a drop for DeSantis from other available polls in the Granite State.

Eleven Wall Street firms agreed to pay $289 million in penalties for failing to preserve communications on iMessage, WhatsApp and Signal as required by federal securities laws.

“Recordkeeping failures such as those here undermine our ability to exercise effective regulatory oversight, often at the expense of investors,” Sanjay Wadhwa, the deputy director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement, said in a statement. Read more here.

“If the two-party system is over, say goodbye to the GOP” — John Kenneth White, a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America whose latest book, co-authored with Matthew Kerbel, is titled “American Political Parties: Why They Formed, How They Function, and Where They’re Headed.” (Read here)

“Is Biden v. Trump inevitable? Not if the parties let the voters decide” — Joseph Bosco, who served as China country director for the secretary of Defense from 2005 to 2006 and as Asia-Pacific director of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief from 2009 to 2010. (Read here)

15 days until the first GOP presidential debate.

455 days until the presidential election.

President Biden will give remarks in New Mexico on “how the Inflation Reduction Act is unleashing a clean energy manufacturing boom,” then travel to Utah.

There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@digital-release.thehill.com

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