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.

How Misleading Ballot Language Helped Sink Redistricting Reform

Karen Kasler, Daniel Konik/Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Media

In 2024, a group of Ohioans used their initiative power to propose a state constitutional amendment to reform Ohio's process for drawing congressional and state legislative districts. Key provisions included removing politicians from the district-drawing process, empowering a bipartisan commission of citizens to draw maps based on certain criteria, and prohibiting the new commission from drawing maps that unfairly favor one political party.

After backers jumped through all the hoops to qualify the proposal for the 2024 general election ballot, a state board composed of politicians and political appointees wrote a lengthy and highly misleading description of the proposal that would go on to be the official description appearing on every Ohio voter's ballot. For example, this language described the measure as "requiring" gerrymandering, when in reality the measure sought to prohibit gerrymandering.

Media coverage documented Ohio voters who said they were tricked by the ballot language into voting against a measure they actually supported. Bolts Magazine, for instance, provided a voter’s account who realized only after leaving the polling booth that he’d vote the opposite of how he intended. Other media outlets reported similar stories.

In the end, the initiative failed to receive voter approval despite public opinion polling showing that Ohioans overwhelmingly favor prohibiting gerrymandering.

See for yourself what happened.

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..."