How 2024's Issue 1 went down
Politicians influenced the defeat of Issue 1:
The Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative,
brought to Ohio Voters on Nov. 5, 2024
See for yourself what happened.
Karen Kasler, Daniel Konik/Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Media
Original Petition Summary
(What Was Proposed)
Ballot Summary
(What Voters Saw)
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Title (Ballot Version):
To create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state.
Title (Original Petition):
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.
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Other highlights
(Original Petition):
Create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, comprised of 5 affiliated with political party whose candidate for governor received the highest number of votes in the last election, 5 whose candidate for governor received the second highest number of votes, and 5 not affiliated with either party, as determined by the bipartisan screening panel.
Other highlights
(Ballot Version):
"Establish a new taxpayer-funded commission...required to gerrymander the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts to favor either of the two largest political parties..."
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Full Text (Original Petition):
https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/ballotboard/2023/11-28-23_summary-and-full-text.pdf
Full Text (Ballot Version):
https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/ballotboard/2024/certifiedballotlanguage_2024-09-18.pdf
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Facts (Original Petition):
Signed by 731,306 voters statewide.
Facts (Ballot Version):
The ballot summary language did not change the actual amendment text. It only changed how the amendment was described to voters.
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Timeline of the initiative:
What happened
Date(s)
Step
Final initiative text approved by Attorney General & forwarded into Secretary of State/Ballot Board process
Ballotpedia
Nov 9, 2023
Proposal filed
Ballot Board approves final text as a single-subject amendment Ballotpedia
Nov 28, 2023
Ballot board certified petition
Statewide signature drive after Board approval
Ballotpedia
Nov 28, 2023 – July 1, 2024
Signatures gathered
Citizens Not Politicians files 731,306 signatures with SOS
Ohio Capitol Journal
July 1, 2024
Petitions filed
SOS certifies 535,005 valid signatures; measure qualifies for ballot
Ohio Secretary of State
July 23, 2024
(extra) Signatures certified
Final, court-modified ballot language adopted & posted as “certified”
Ballotpedia
Sep 18, 2024
Ballot language certified
So Ohio's been Gerrymandered (again),
now what?
