Elections in Ohio |
---|
The 2024 Ohio redistricting commission initiative was a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment, Issue 1 on the ballot, that was defeated 53.7% to 46.3% in the November 2024 election.[1] If passed, the amendment would have replaced the existing politician-led Ohio Redistricting Commission with a 15-member commission of Ohio citizens selected from a pool by a panel of retired judges, to redraw congressional and legislative districts.
According to the petition, the official title was "An amendment to replace the current politician-run redistricting process with a citizen-led commission required to create fair state legislative and congressional districts through a more open and independent system."[2][3] The proposed amendment would have set up a 15-member commission, narrowed from a larger pool by retired judges, to draw the district maps for Ohio statehouse and U.S. Congressional elections.[4]
The proposed amendment was supported by a local coalition, Citizens Not Politicians, led by retired Republican chief justice Maureen O'Connor, locally supported by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and Common Cause Ohio, with support from the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.[4] The proponents said that the law would end gerrymandering and "ban current or former politicians, political party officials and lobbyists from sitting on the Commission."[5] Opponents argued it would create an unelected commission unaccountable to voters and was an attempt by Democrats to gain more seats in Congress and the statehouse.[6] Despite seeking to end gerrymandering, the certified ballot language noted that the amendment would "repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018, and eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts.",[7] which could be described as a leading statement. The ballot summary was written by the Ohio Ballot Board, anchored by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and was opposed by the petitioners through a lawsuit, calling it "biased, inaccurate, [and] deceptive". It was only given a minor adjustment by the Ohio Supreme Court.[4][8]