CINCINNATI — Ohioans have rejected a ballot measure that would change how district maps are created, Decision Desk HQ projects. With 87% of precincts reporting, just under 54% of the state voted against Issue 1.
The proposal would have created an independent, 15-person commission of citizens who represent different geographic areas and demographics across the state instead of the current Ohio Redistricting Commission.
In total, only eight of Ohio's 88 counties voted in support of Issue 1. Those counties include Cuyahoga, Lucas, Franklin, Montgomery, Athens and Hamilton County here in the Tri-State.
With 88% of precincts in, our election maps show 55.5% of Hamilton County voters said yes to Issue 1.
Conversely, the surrounding counties of Butler, Warren and Clermont show more than 60% of voters said no to Issue 1. In Adams, Brown, Clinton and Highland counties the percentage of voters who said no was higher than 70%.
The no vote means Ohio will keep its current commission, which is made up of seven spots. Two of those seats always go to Republicans while another two go to Democrats in the Statehouse. Then the three remaining seats include the governor, secretary of state and state auditor.
A bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court struck down seven different maps passed by the commission in 2022, saying GOP members were drawing lines unfairly to benefit their party. Supporters of Issue 1 said the new commission would fix that. However, opponents claimed the new commission could make as many districts as they could to achieve the number of seats they want for Democrats and Republicans. Both sides said a vote for their choice would end gerrymandering.
In the end, the majority of voters selected no, so the Ohio Redistricting Commission will remain.
