Confusion and concerns about Amendment 1

BECKLEY, WV (WV) – Amending the state constitution hangs in the balance on Election Day.

Amendment 1 would amend the West Virginia Constitution to prohibit “the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.”

Assisted suicide is suicide with the help of another person, in particular the use of lethal means provided by a physician for this purpose, by a terminally or terminally ill patient.

Many voters are confused and others are outraged by Amendment 1.

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Some believe this amendment would restrict voter freedom by increasing government reach.

“Unfortunately, I think this is quite misleading by design. They didn’t put the actual wording of the amendment on the ballot, which is very confusing,” said Mike Pushkin, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party.

Voting “yes” on this amendment means you want it to become law. Voting “no” on this amendment means you do NOT want it to become law.

Pushkin says it’s always important to know what should be on the ballot.

Early voting is underway

“It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the ballots before going to vote. I mean, we’ve already had some problems in West Virginia where the wrong ballots were placed, and it’s good for voters to notice that. But to do that, you need to find out what should be on the ballot and definitely educate yourself about this constitutional amendment before you go to vote,” Pushkin said.

Early voting began on October 23 and ends on November 2.

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