Ohio voters will decide on Question 1 redistricting initiative

Ohio Issue 1which would give citizens the right to draw congressional and state congressional districts is heading toward early election results.

A vote on Question 1 would create a 15-member commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents to draw districts for candidates representing Ohioans in Columbus and Washington. D.C. commissioners cannot be elected officials, candidates, lobbyists or campaign staff.

Issue 1 will also change the way maps are compiled, placing more emphasis on comparing how Ohioans vote in statewide elections. This would allow communities of interest to come together, but would have no restrictions on how often a city, county or town could be divided.

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A vote against Question 1 would preserve the redistricting rules Ohioans approved in 2015 and 2018. Under the current system, a seven-member commission of elected officials handles redistricting in the state’s districts and draws the congressional map if state lawmakers cannot reach an agreement.

Supporters say Ohio Prop. 1 would eliminate the ability of self-interested politicians to gerrymander congressional districts and districts to benefit themselves and their allies. They point to maps that the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected seven times as unconstitutional gerrymandering.

Opponents of Ohio’s first pass say the current system isn’t perfect, but the new measure would make redistricting worse. Voters could not remove civil commissioners; only fellow members of the commission could.

Read the proposed amendment here:

This story will be updated

Jesse Balmert covers government and state politics for the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.