COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans are projected to reject an amendment to the state’s constitution that would change how district maps are created, Decision Desk HQ projects.
Currently, Ohio lawmakers draw the maps — ones that directly impact them and their colleagues.
Issue 1 sought to take that power out of the hands of lawmakers and put it into the hands of an independent, 15-person commission of citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
It would have banned current or former politicians, political party officials, lobbyists and large political donors from sitting on the commission.
It would have required fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician. It also would have mandated the commission to operate under an open and independent process.
The commissioners would have drawn the maps based on federal law, also taking into account past election data on partisan preferences. The commission was to be charged with making sure that each district has a reasonably equal population and that communities of interest are kept together.
The current Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) is made up of seven spots. Two will always go to Republicans and two to Democrats in the Statehouse. The three remaining seats include the governor, secretary of state and auditor.
This led to the Ohio Redistricting Mess of 2022, where a bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court struck down seven different passed maps, citing that the GOP members of the commission were drawing lines to unfairly benefit their party.
In all, voters faced plenty of confusion about Issue 1 and what it meant for the state. Campaign signs for both sides made similar claims about whether voting “yes” or “no” would stop gerrymandering in Ohio.
Find the latest general election results from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana here.
