Ohio Voters to Decide on Redistricting Reform in November

[September 13, 2024]

In addition to a major Presidential race, notable Congressional races, and a myriad of local issues, Ohio voters will also be asked to decide on a redistricting reform proposal. Officially appearing on the ballot as Issue 1, the redistricting constitutional amendment was brought forward by Citizens Not Politicians, a coalition of citizen groups and voting rights advocates.

This is the second major reform proposal placed before Ohio voters in the past decade, with legislatively backed proposals advancing in 2015 and 2018 for state legislative and Congressional maps, respectively. Unlike past proposals, the current Issue 1 faces opposition from majority Republicans in the General Assembly and the Ohio Republican Party. The proposal would establish an independent commission to decide on legislative maps for 2026 and beyond.

While many Issue 1 supporters backed previous reform efforts, there is frustration that those reforms did not put an end to gerrymandering of state legislative and Congressional maps. If approved by voters, Issue 1 could dramatically alter the politics at the Ohio Statehouse.