This November, Ohioans will vote on State Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment to the state’s redistricting process that would replace the current Ohio Restriction Commission with a 15-member citizen panel to define the state’s political districts.
According to the ballot language, the selected citizens, all chosen by retired judges, would be split evenly among the major political parties, with five being Democrats, five Republicans and five Independents. This amendment intends to stop the practice of gerrymandering in Ohio.
Redistricting and a history of gerrymandering in Ohio
Redistricting is the process of redrawing district lines based on the census to keep each district’s population as equal as possible while accommodating population shifts. Gerrymandering is redrawing these boundaries to benefit a certain political party. Because of this, gerrymandering is widely considered undemocratic and can be used to predetermine the outcome of certain elections.
Ohio has a history of heavily-gerrymandered maps. As recently as March 2022, the Ohio Redistricting Commission faced significant delays after their proposed map was deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. Instead of following an order to hire independent mapmakers, legislators approved the map after only making minor adjustments, disregarding the court’s ruling.
The proposed Issue 1 essentially seeks to stop this from happening again by removing politicians from the redistricting process.
Voting yes would create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Restrictions Commission consisting of a diverse group of citizens from different geographic locations, demographics and political parties. It prohibits current or former politicians from sitting on the commission, as well as lobbyists and large political donors. If enshrined, this amendment would make it unconstitutional to draw district lines in favor of any specific party.
Voting no would reject the amendment and keep the current system in place.
Proponents and opponents
This amendment was posed by Citizens Not Politicians, a nonpartisan group made up of unions, business leaders and religious groups, all with diverse political beliefs, implying that the divide on this issue is not strictly along party lines.
“With this amendment on the ballot,” said Maureen O’Connor, former Republican Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, “Ohioans have the chance to reclaim their power from the self-serving politicians who want to stay in power long past their expiration date while ignoring the needs of the voters.”
Despite having supporters on both sides, some are insistent on pinning the amendment to one side.
“This is a left-wing power grab in Ohio,” accused Alex Triantafilo, an Ohio Republican Party Chairman. “More than $20 million came into Ohio to try and pass this initiative … money from places like San Francisco and New York and D.C.”
Those against Issue 1 argue it will create an unreliable commission of randomly selected citizens with no real experience or qualifications. Voters worry that commission members will be given too much power and no accountability to come with it.
Issue 1, supported or rejected, will shape the future of the state’s redistricting process. As Election Day approaches, it is up to voters to weigh the arguments and choose for themselves whether a citizen-led approach is best for the state.
Election day
Election day is Nov. 5. The polls will be open from 6:30 am and 7:30 pm..
Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 4 and received by the Board of Elections on or before Nov. 11 to be counted.
In a state with some of the strictest voting laws, voters should remember to bring a valid form of photo identification to the polls.
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