Ohio Issue 1, the Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative, is on the ballot in Ohio as a citizen initiated constitutional amendment. Over 731,000 Ohio citizens signed the petition to put Issue 1 on the November ballot to form a commission made up of citizens not politicians to draw voting districts that create fair maps and done in a transparent way.

Ohio is 1 of the 10 most gerrymandered states in the country because politicians are in charge of drawing voting districts, and they manipulate them to benefit themselves.

The maps drawn by politicians have been ruled unconstitutional 7 times by the Ohio Supreme Court. Ohioans are being forced to vote in unconstitutional districts in the November election.

A “yes” vote supports establishing the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission, 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 5 Independents, responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans in a fair, public process.

It is up to the citizens of Ohio to vote for Issue 1 to end gerrymandering, give the power back to the people and have fair maps. Do not leave politicians in charge of drawing district lines. Vote Yes on Issue 1.

Betsy Cook

Lowell