As things stand, Ohio voters will be told that November Issue 1 “repeal(s) constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors…and eliminate(s) the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts,” among other things.
November’s Issue 1 would repeal two anti-gerrymandering amendments, but it would also add significant protections of its own, many of which look similar to what’s currently in place, with a significant digression. Additionally, there is not a direct way for Ohioans to “hold their representatives accountable” for unfair maps, evidenced by the seven occasions since 2020 in which the Ohio Supreme Court found the state’s proposed maps to be unconstitutional with no repercussions for the politicians on the board.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who leads the Ohio Ballot Board and who was involved in drawing the maps in the current system, defended the language, saying, “It is what I genuinely believe to be our best effort to faithfully summarize, truthfully summarize, a very long amendment for the voters to consider.”
Retired Republican Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who helped draft Issue 1, said the Ohio Ballot Board’s description wasn’t up to snuff.
“It’s one grotesque abuse of power after another from politicians desperate to protect the current system that only benefits themselves and their lobbyist friends,” O’Connor said.
The campaign is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to order the Ohio Ballot Board to reconvene and adopt new language to accurately reflect the amendment, according to a news release.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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