The push for redistricting reform in Ohio is controversial as proponents of a constitutional amendment allege that the state's Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, has composed misleading ballot language. According to Cleveland.com, the group Citizens Not Politicians claims that the proposed wording from LaRose's office is an illegal manipulation, potentially swaying voters against the amendment, which seeks to establish a more balanced redistricting process.
The proposed amendment would overhaul the current Ohio Redistricting Commission, replacing it with a new 15-member citizens commission tasked with drawing congressional and legislative district maps. This commission would feature an equal number of Republicans, Democrats, and independents, selected by retired judges to ensure a political equipoise, current and former politicians, lobbyists, and political insiders would be excluded from participation according to ideastream.org.
The draft language for the ballot summary is under scrutiny for its length, spanning three pages when such summaries are typically concise. WOSU highlighted that the summary begins with a contentious statement: "This amendment would repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved the nearly 3/4 of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018." It also states that the amendment would remove "the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens for holding their representatives accountable," language which amendment supporters find objectionably misleading.
Critics of the draft language allege that such wording is crafted to prejudice voters against the amendment, saying it paints a negative, inaccurate picture of the initiatives' impact and discredits the effort for nonpartisan redistricting if the Ohio Ballot Board, which maintains a Republican majority, fails to revise the summary to a more neutral tone, proponents of the amendment are prepared to take legal action continuing their fight to make redistricting a citizen-driven process free of political influence, as reported by Cleveland.com.
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