Redistricting experts say Ohio's maps are currently among the most gerrymandered in the nation. So should politicians pick their voters or should voters pick their politicians? That’s the question backers of a constitutional amendment say Ohio voters will decide this November with Issue 1. But opponents, led by Republican elected officials, say the proposal is a power grab by Democrats.
What would Issue 1 do?
Issue 1 would eliminate the Ohio Redistricting Commission, made up of the governor, auditor, secretary of state and four state lawmakers — two from each party. The amendment would create a 15-member panel made up of Republicans, Democrats and independents selected by retired judges to draw legislative and congressional maps. Politicians and lobbyists would be banned from being on that panel.
The Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission's maps would be drawn based on a proportionality formula that corresponds closely with the results of the last six statewide elections. If it's approved, that would mean the results of statewide elections in 2018, 2020 and 2024. Similar citizen-led commissions are used in some other states.
How would the 15-member panel work?
The Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission would start with the two Republicans and two Democrats on the Ohio Ballot Board each nominating four retired judges to select commission members. The ballot board would select four judges from that field of eight. The judges would hire an independent search firm to solicit applications to join the commission. Applicants' voting record in primaries, political donations and campaign activities will be used to determine their partisan status.
That search firm will create a pool of 90 qualified applicants — 30 Republicans, 30 Democrats and 30 independents — "who collectively form a geographically and demographically representative cross-section of Ohio." After a public comment period, the pool will be cut in half but still with even partisan representation. In a public meeting, six commissioners will be selected in a random drawing. Those six will then select the other nine members of the panel in a public meeting.
The amendment requires the actual map drawing process to include five public meetings before releasing draft maps, five hearings on the draft maps and two hearings on any changes to the draft maps. Final maps must be publicly released at least three days before the panel approves them, in a meeting no later than Sept. 19, 2025. As maps are drawn going forward, they would have to be approved no later than July 15 of years ending in one (for instance, July 15, 2031). At least nine commissioners — at least two Republicans, two Democrats and two independents — must vote for any maps. If there's no agreement, each member would rank the proposed maps from most to least favored. The least popular plan would be eliminated until there's only one plan left.
Who is behind Issue 1?
Issue 1 was created by Citizens Not Politicians, which is led by former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican. She joined the court's three Democrats in ruling legislative and congressional maps approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission were unconstitutionally gerrymandered seven times. Those maps were put into place for the 2022 election after a federal court allowed them. But the public outcry against the process pushed O'Connor and other critics to come up with a different plan.
In July, Citizens Not Politicians filed 731,306 petition signatures to put their proposal on the November ballot.
“This constitutional amendment will restore power to Ohio citizens and take it away from the self-serving politicians and their lobbyist friends and big-money donors," said O'Connor, who had retired from the court in 2022 because of mandatory age limits.
Why do supporters say the change is necessary?
Since the '90s, Republicans have dominated state government, and hold supermajorities in the Ohio House and Senate now, as well as all five of the state's executive offices and four of the seven seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. Those who support Issue 1 say the maps drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission favor Republicans because the politicians haven't followed the prescribed process. Republican leaders, however, said they have done the will of the voters.
Ohio Works, a group backed by Republicans, is leading the charge against Issue 1. Ohio Works spokesman Matt Dole said the campaign understands the frustration with the process that resulted in maps ruled unconstitutionally gerrymandered seven times by the court in 2021 and 2022.
“We think progress has been made. We know there's still improvements, but we think Issue 1 throws away the progress that's been made and is, frankly, a power grab by Democrats," Dole said.
Leading the charge against Issue 1 has been Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), a chief architect of the process voters approved in 2015 and 2018. Gov. Mike DeWine is also opposed, and has said if voters reject it he will work with lawmakers to create a plan similar to Iowa's, which uses an independent legislative services agency.
Battle over Issue 1's ballot language
In August, the Republican-dominated Ohio Ballot Board, led by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, approved a three-page summary that voters will see when they cast their ballots. It said the amendment "would require gerrymandering" and would take away accountability. Citizens Not Politicians and Democrats on the board sued for changes, saying the summary language is a partisan power play to "hoodwink voters." Republicans on the Ohio Supreme Court upheld most of the language.
Read the amendment language here.
Read the Ballot Board summary language here.
The Ballot Board has been sued four times over ballot language it approved—three times in the last 16 months. Citizens Not Politicians said the partisanship on the Ballot Board and in the court ruling is proof the amendment is needed.
See a timeline of Ohio's redistricting saga here.
What does my 'yes' or 'no' vote mean?
A vote of "yes" on Issue 1 would lead to the creation of the 15-member panel outlined above.
A "no" vote would reject the proposal and keep the current system in place.
Ohio has voted on redistricting several times
Issue 1 represents the seventh time Ohioans have been asked to make changes to redistricting in 58 years. In 1967, voters approved the creation of the apportionment board — the governor, secretary of state, auditor and two legislative appointees — to draw legislative district maps, with congressional maps drawn by the General Assembly. The board was controlled by Democrats in 1971 and 1981, and then by Republicans in 1991 and 2001 — and each time the maps were drawn to favor the party in charge. In 1981, an amendment to change In 1981, 2004 and 2012, proposals for an independent redistricting commission were rejected by voters. In 2015, voters approved the Ohio Redistricting Commission to draw state lawmakers' maps, and in 2018 required lawmakers to draw congressional maps with the Ohio Redistricting Commission as a backup.
