Ohio Residents, Ignore the Ballot Language and Vote YES on Issue 1 to End Republican Gerrymandering

[RandySF]

Unfortunately the Republican majority on the Ohio Supreme Court approved highly confusing and misleading language on Issue 1. Currently, Republicans control the drawing of congressional districts and heavily gerrymander the map in their favor. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled seven times against Republican-drawn maps, and former Justice O’Connor, a Republican herself, staunchly criticized nakedly biased Republican gerrymandering.

Issue 1 would create a 15-member non-politician commission equally comprised of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans mandated to draw a fair, proportional map. The biased ballot language reads:

“To create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state.”

What it fails to account for is that Ohio voters have a hard time voting out Republican lawmakers who heavily gerrymander districts. The new balanced commission would draw much fairer maps so that people’s votes have their due impact.




https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/24/2272453/-Ohio-Residents-Ignore-the-Ballot-Language-and-Vote-YES-on-Issue-1-to-End-Republican-Gerrymandering

[Backseat Driver]

1. I got a lot of questions

Are the retired judges involved taken from those that have been declared by primary participation Republican/Democrat - 2 and 2? They may still have political bias.

Do those judges then pull 90 names out of the declared political Party voting pool already in existence or any resident pool of Ohio?

How will those then chosen be widdled down to the 45 and 15 - What are the criteria for serving on this panel and how and when will these "interviews" take place so voters can contribute their "thoughts" about panel participants' worthiness to serve?

Does this become a citizen's duty to serve (like jury duty) if chosen to be on said panel? What if a person has "circumstances" that might prohibit said service? Does one simply decline the selection and another chosen from the pool? I know absolutely nothing of any sort of map-making, political or not, or perhaps the person just doesn't want to serve on the panel?

How should one parse the term "gerrymandering" as used in the language of this issue?