COLUMBUS — A statewide ballot issue asks voters to replace Ohio’s current redistricting process with a non-politician commission. That commission would be tasked with drawing boundaries for the state’s legislative and congressional districts.
Issue 1 earned a spot on the ballot in July when 535,005 signatures collected by a group called “Citizens Not Politicians” were certified by the Secretary of State’s office. It is the lone initiative that qualified for and will appear on this year’s ballot.
The group is advocating for a change to the redistricting process in light of the state’s Supreme Court ruling seven times that the current commission’s redistricting maps were unconstitutional, unduly favoring Republican candidates.
The seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission currently includes five Republicans and two Democrats.
What are the current processes for redistricting?
The current redistricting process for state legislative districts lies with the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission, comprised of the following members:
- The governor
- The state auditor
- The secretary of state
- An individual appointed by the Senate President
- An individual appointed by the Speaker of the House
- An individual appointed by the Senate Minority Leader
- An individual appointed by the House Minority Leader
The Ohio Redistricting Commission was approved by voters in 2015, garnering 71% of the vote statewide.
The congressional redistricting process, also approved by voters in 2018, is more complex. It lies in the hands of the state legislature.
The rules require certain percentages of members from both parties to support a plan, with contingency plans in place in case that buy-in can’t be attained.
What would the amendment do?
If passed, the entity would replace the current processes for drawing state legislative districts and congressional districts with a non-politician commission of 15 people.
(Below is a PDF copy of the approved ballot language for Issue 1.)
The Citizens Redistricting Commission would include five Democrats, five Republicans and five independents or people affiliated with other political parties.
A screening panel of four retired judges, two Democrats and two Republicans, would be tasked with selecting six of the 15 commission members. The other nine would be selected by the six members.
Candidates for the commission would apply to serve. The public would have an opportunity to weigh in on candidates as part of the process, too.
The screening panel would create a pool of 90 applicants — 30 Democrats, 30 Republicans and 30 independents. Those 90 names will be made public, with a public comment portal available for peoples’ participation. The 90 applicants would also take part in publicly broadcast interviews examining their qualifications to serve on the commission.
The commission’s actions would be public. Approval of any actions would require affirmation from at least nine commissioners.
The commission would be required to adopt final redistricting plans no later than Sept. 19, 2025. After that 2025 date, it would be required to adopt final redistricting plans by July 15 of every year ending in one, beginning in 2031.
Support and opposition
Who supports it?
Citizens Not Politicians worked to bring the issue to the ballot and to garner support for it. The group has a website listing events and volunteer opportunities across the state prior to the election.
Chris Davey, spokesperson for Citizens Not Politicians, said the amendment aims to prevent gerrymandering — which is important, because gerrymandering creates “dysfunction, discord and division.”
While both supporters and opponents of the amendment claim they want to put a stop to gerrymandering, Davey said the amendment’s language offers clarity about stopping gerrymandering.
He pointed to section 6B of the amendment. That section of the amendment states it would “ban partisan gerrymandering and prohibit the use of redistricting plans that favor one political party and disfavor others…”
(Below is a PDF of the full text of the proposed amendment.)
He encouraged voters to read the amendment’s full language, which differs from the ballot language.
“The most important thing to know is that voting yes on Issue 1 will ban gerrymandering and will create a 15-member citizens commission to draw the legislative maps, and it will prohibit legislators, other politicians, lobbyists and elite political insiders from being involved in the process,” Davey said. “This gives power back to the citizens of Ohio. That’s the most important thing.”
The amendment has garnered support from Democratic leaders in the statehouse. It’s also earned support from former state Supreme Court justices, including former Republican Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. O’Connor presided over the Supreme Court’s rulings that the current commission’s maps were unconstitutional.
Several unions and other organizations have also come out in favor of the amendment. Those include:
- Democratic Party of Ohio
- Libertarian Party of Ohio
- American Federation of Teachers
- National Education Association
- Ohio Association of Firefighters
- Ohio Farmers Union
- ACLU
- Brennan Center for Justice
- League of Women Voters Ohio
- Ohio Student Association
Who opposes it?
Several Republican officials at the national and statewide level have come out against the amendment. Those include former President Donald Trump, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, among others.
“Issue 1 would guarantee that unqualified redistricting commissioners are not accountable to Ohio voters, and would be impossible to remove them if they abuse their power — Issue 1 will cost Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars and would force the State to pay redistricting commission lawyers unlimited legal expenses, with no accountability,” a post from Trump’s TruthSocial account read.
Some organizations have also come out against the amendment, including:
- Republican Party of Ohio
- Ohio Chamber of Commerce
- Ohio Manufacturers’ Association
- Buckeye Firearms Association
- Ohio Farm Bureau
- Ohio Right to Life
- Ohio Works
“After a lengthy, exhaustive process of review, consideration and debate, (Ohio Manufacturers’ Association) leadership, comprised of manufacturing executives, came down soundly against Ohio Issue 1 and is urging Ohioans to oppose it,” said the organization’s president Ryan Ausburger in a Sept. 25 press release.
“The current process is certainly one with flaws, but it’s rooted in accountability, expertise and inclusivity, all characteristics that would be tossed out the window by Issue 1. We need to go forward, not backward, and the OMA urges Ohioans to say, ‘No,’ to this flawed proposal.”
“Issue 1 is a nothing more than a Democrat power grab that will require gerrymandering so liberal billionaires can take over Congress and Ohio’s legislature,” LaRose said on social media.
Ohio Works, the group behind the opposition to Issue 1, argues that the proposal will “gerrymander more than what we have now” and that the citizen-led commission will be made up of “unelected bureaucrats.”
“I understand frustration with politicians. But, (they) are accountable. Politicians are accountable,” said Matt Dole, the spokesperson for Ohio Works. “And the way the commission will be made up under this ballot measure, it would remove accountability.”