Gerrymandering is Back on the Ballot. Do You Understand Ohio’s Issue 1?
Let’s travel back in time to the halls of high school. Remember that civics or history class where the teacher drummed on about this thing called gerrymandering? Well, it turns out that word is pretty darn important.
Researched and Compiled by Women of Cincy staff.
What is Issue 1?
Issue 1, a ballot initiative aimed at ending gerrymandering, is up for a vote. There is significant drama surrounding the issue, including accusations of confusing and misleading ballot language.
The bipartisan group behind the ballot initiative, Citizens Not Politicians states that the initiative will:
Create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of Democratic, Republican, and Independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
Ban current or former politicians, political party officials and lobbyists from sitting on the Commission.
Require fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
Require the commission to operate under an open and independent process.
Let’s take a minute to unpack gerrymandering, its history in our state, and how the passage or failure of Issue 1 will affect your future.
Starting with the basics. What is gerrymandering?
Merriam-Webster defines gerrymandering as, “the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections.”
Every 10 years states are required to redraw legislative districts to coincide with the release of the U.S. Census. This should be a chance for states to draw legislative districts that fairly represent the needs and wants of all communities. But when legislators put their thumb on the scale and choose their constituents, we all suffer.
There are two primary methods that map makers use to gerrymander districts: cracking and packing.
Cracking involves splitting voters who should remain together based on overlapping similarities, such as party affiliation, race, school districts, shared communities, etc.
Packing, on the other hand, involves diluting the constituents' power by grouping everyone into as few districts as possible.
How Does Gerrymandering Affect You?
When politicians select their voters and draw their own districts, they pretty much guarantee a victory in the general election. Extreme candidates often take advantage of this process and win their primaries by appealing to a radical base. Without competitive districts, candidates are appointed to office without ever having to face any real challenges to their beliefs or policies, therefore diluting public discussion around key issues and silencing the voices of voters.
Haven’t We Voted on this Before?
You betcha. In 2015 and 2018, Ohioans passed constitutional amendments to ban gerrymandering. So why is this back on the ballot?
Let's take a closer look at some outstanding local reporting to better understand the issue.
Ohio’s Recent History with Gerrymandering
Excerpt from Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio gerrymandering: A brief and awful history of the very recent past
“Ohioans previously passed constitutional amendments to ban gerrymandering in 2015 and 2018 but those reforms, which were put on the ballot in compromises with lawmakers, left politicians and lawmakers in control.”
“In 2018, politicians campaigned against gerrymandering, but after they won the election they refused to honor the amendments. In 2021 and 2022, they forced gerrymandering on Ohio anyway.
If you average Ohio’s statewide partisan elections over the last 10 cycles, including 2022, Ohio is a 56-43 Republican-to-Democratic state. But after 2022, the Ohio House has 67 Republicans and 32 Democrats. In the Ohio Senate, 26 seats are Republican while seven are Democratic. Of Ohio’s 15 U.S. Congressional seats, 10 are held by Republicans and five held by Democrats.
This means that even though Republicans represent 56% of voters in Ohio on average, they control 66% of the state’s U.S. Congressional seats, 67% of the Ohio House, and 79% of the Ohio Senate.”
From The Brennan Center for Justice:
Timeline of Ohio’s Gerrymandered Maps: How Ohio Politicians Defied Court Orders to Manipulate Legislative Districts
Editors note: The Ohio Supreme Court ruled the state legislative maps drawn by politicians unconstitutional seven times.
How “Red” is Ohio?
Excerpts from Signal Ohio
Ohio gerrymandering, explained
“Throughout Ohio history, the majority party in the state legislature has rigged elections by gerrymandering districts,” wrote Mike Curtin, a journalist and one-time state legislator, in a recent guest opinion for the Columbus Dispatch.”
“In recent years, Republicans have been the ones to benefit in the General Assembly, the state’s legislature. Currently, there are 26 Republicans and seven Democrats in the Ohio Senate. In the Ohio House of Representatives, there are 67 Republicans and 32 Democrats. With those majorities, Republicans have enough votes to override vetoes by the governor (meaning they can pass a law even if the governor refuses to sign it).
At first glance, these majorities might suggest that Ohio is around 70% Republican. But in statewide elections, the outcome is often much closer. For example, look at the most recent U.S. Senate races. In 2022, the Republican candidate, J.D. Vance, won with 53% of the vote. In 2018, the Democrat, Sherrod Brown, won with almost exactly the same percentage.
Donald Trump won Ohio twice, by 53.3% in 2020 and 51.8% in 2016. In those elections, voters of both parties turned out in high numbers.
Recent ballot initiatives are even more instructive. The ballot initiative process allows citizens to bypass the legislature and propose and pass laws or amend the state constitution. In 2023, Republican leaders and affiliated organizations strongly opposed a constitutional amendment ensuring reproductive rights, including abortion, and a law legalizing recreational marijuana use. Voters passed them anyway by wide margins.”
Drama at the Ohio Ballot Board
Excerpts from Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio Ballot Board approves controversial language to describe anti-gerrymandering amendment
“The Ohio Ballot Board passed controversial language written by Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Friday [August 16] as the ballot summary that will explain to voters November’s anti-gerrymandering amendment. Supporters of the amendment have called the language deceptive and unconstitutional and have said they would challenge it in court.”
“The [Ohio Ballot Board] language is stunning in it being false and misleading, and it is unabashed in terms of its prejudicial language,” [Attorney Don] McTigue said. “There’s no reasonable person who … after reading that language could conclude that it is an honest attempt to provide fair ballot language that allows voters to make an independent decision about the issue.”
Excerpts from The Statehouse News Bureau
Some Ohioans say voters will be tricked by ballot language for redistricting issue
“Delaware resident Kelly Vogt said when she went to cast her early ballot, she knew she wanted to vote for Issue 1.
‘But then when I got there, I started reading the language because I hadn’t read it ahead of time and it’s very confusing. It leads you to believe it’s causing more gerrymandering,’ Vogt said.”
“Vogt voted against the amendment and said she later realized she had cast her ballot to keep the status quo…. “It threw me and at the last minute I voted no and I’m really regretting that now and I feel like that is false advertising," Vogt said.”
“Matt Dole with Ohio Works, the group opposing Issue 1, said the ballot summary isn't confusing voters. “If people go in and intend to vote for Issue 1, read the ballot language and vote no, they are not confused," Dole said. "They are reading the ballot language and realizing what they are hearing out there from the Issue 1 crowd doesn’t match what is on the ballot."
“It is true that the ballot language doesn’t match the language in the amendment. The ballot language approved by the Ohio Ballot Board at an August meeting was written by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who chairs that panel. His wording was changed slightly by fellow board member Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green). She suggested replacing the word "manipulate" in a line describing the district line-drawing process with the word "gerrymander". That prompted an outburst from Issue 1’s supporters.”
“Democrats on the board also protested and took the ballot summary to the Ohio Supreme Court. The Republican majority said the language was ok with a minor technical change. Democrats blasted it, with Justice Jennifer Brunner writing that it is "perhaps the most stunningly stilted ballot language that Ohio voters will have ever seen."
Statement from Frank LaRose, Ohio’s Secretary of State and Chair Person of the Ohio Ballot Board
“...This proposed amendment does in fact require the gerrymandering of Ohio’s legislative and congressional districts, and that’s something the dark money foreign billionaire behind this bad idea has consistently tried to deny. It won’t stop the false advertising that’s about to get dumped on the airwaves, but at least the voters will know the facts if they read the accurate summary on their ballot.”
Who is backing a “Yes” vote on Issue 1?
Partial Endorsement List from Citizens Not Politicians
American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio
Brennan Center for Justice
Central Ohio Area Labor Federation (ALF)
Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Cincinnati Pride, Inc.
Cincinnatus Association
Common Cause Ohio
Greater Cleveland Congregations
Honesty for Ohio Education
Human Rights Campaign PAC
Impact Appalachia
Innovation Ohio
League of Women Voters of Ohio
Ohioans Against Extremism
Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund
Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters
Ohio Citizen Action
Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT)
Ohio NAACP
The Matriots
The Murray and Agnes Seasongood Good Government Foundation
Woman’s City Club of Greater Cincinnati
Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board
Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial Board
Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board
Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board
Toledo Blade Editorial Board
Warren Tribune Chronicle Editorial Board
And many others. Find a more comprehensive list here: https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/endorsements
Who is against Issue 1?
Stop Issue 1 does not include a list of opponents to Issue 1. However, many politicians and groups have publicly expressed their stance, including:
Additional Reading:
Read more about what Ohio Newspapers are saying about Issue 1: https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/news/
Learn more about how Citizens Not Politicians say Issue 1 will work: https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/petition/
Read the certified ballot language for the amendment as it will appear on YOUR ballot: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/globalassets/ballotboard/2024/certifiedballotlanguage_2024-09-18.pdf
Read the full text of the proposed amendment: https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Issue-1-The-Citizens-Not-Politicians-Amendment.pdf
Listen to Mike DeWine explain his stance on Issue 1: https://www.ohiochannel.org/video/governor-mike-dewine-7-31-2024-discussing-redistricting