Skewed Maps Show Why Ohio Voters Must Seize Rights from Power-Hungry Politicians

We vote for our legislative representatives, but the reality is, they select the voters who put them in office. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. A group called Citizens Not Politicians is poised to bring real change to how state and congressional legislative districts are drawn in Ohio. Before explaining what’s coming, let’s take stock of where we are.

Ohioans voted twice to amend the state Constitution and bring fairness to the system. In 2015, a redistricting commission, composed of seven elected officials, was created, along with a new process for drawing state legislative maps. In 2018, the process of drawing congressional maps was reformed.

Despite the clear mandate from voters to end gerrymandering, politicians disregarded the two amendments. Between September 2021 and April 2022, the redistricting commission drew five Statehouse maps for the House and Senate. Political considerations, not fairness, drove the process. Each map was struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court as unconstitutional.   

Assuming enough signatures are obtained by this July, a constitutional amendment to reform redistricting and gerrymandering will be on this November’s ballot. The change will be significant: the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will create a 15-member citizens redistricting commission, to be composed equally of Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Current or recent office holders, individuals with strong political ties and lobbyists will be prohibited from being members of the commission.

You can expect some politicians and special interests to oppose this amendment. They like the status quo that keeps political insiders in power—at the expense of the interests of Ohio citizens.

Read the full Jack D'Aurora Op-Ed in the Columbus Dispatch here