This November, Issue One 2024 will be on the ballot for millions of registered voters across the State of Ohio. After reaching signature thresholds set by the State of Ohio, Citizens Not Politicians, an organization pushing against what they perceive as Republican-led gerrymandering, officially put Issue One on the ballot with the Secretary of State’s office.
Ohio Republicans and Democrats will square off not only during the Presidential and Senate elections but also regarding another Issue 1. Issue 1 2024, otherwise known as the ‘Citizens Not Politicians Amendment’ is a citizen-led initiative to end gerrymandering. The Citizen Not Politicians petition was heavily pushed for by the Ohio Democratic Party, particularly with the help of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
“Gerrymandering has plagued our state for too long, creating a system where politicians manipulate boundaries to serve their interests,” Mayor Bibb said in an event supporting CNP. “It’s time for Ohio citizens – not politicians – to take control and draw fair, unbiased maps through an open and transparent process.”
The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment would create a 15-member citizen commission composed of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Former officeholders, current elect officials, political party officials, and lobbyists would be barred from serving on the citizen commission. This commission would be tasked with creating fair maps that do not discriminate on any grounds as well as be required to operate in an open and transparent process. In theory, this would sound ideal; gerrymandering is a plague on our democratic institutions and should be done away with. All voices and votes should matter in our elections. Republicans, however, say that it is impossible in a state in which Republican Governor Mike DeWine won by over 25% and President Trump in 2020 by 8%.
“Now, the idea of proportionality sounds fair,” Gov. DeWine said in a press conference opposing the measure. “However, we see that requiring the map drawer to draw districts, each of which favors one political party, with each district having a predetermined partisan advantage, and requiring a certain number of districts to favor each party, obliterates all other good government objectives. They all go away.”
Gov. DeWine suggested that what Ohio needs is what he called ‘The Iowa Plan’ in which citizens draft maps, but the legislature and Governor have the final say. Gov. DeWine also expressed his concern that maps produced under the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment would foster even bigger gerrymandering.
“If this amendment were to be adopted, Ohio would actually end up with a system that mandates – that compels – map drawers to produce gerrymandered districts,” continued Gov. DeWine. “In fact, Ohio would have gerrymandering in the extreme.”
Ohioans will ultimately have the final say on if the maps are fair and whether or not they want to take the chance on an amendment that could produce even worse maps for Ohio. Election Day will be on November 5th, 2024 with early in-person voting starting October 8th. Voter registration deadline is October 7th. To register to vote, go to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website provided here.
