OPINION: The real issue with opposition to Ohio’s Issue 1

Photo via Jayson Smith/The New Political

Jayson Smith, a Freshman studying Political Science, argues that Issue 1 should not divide Ohioans, but unite them to fight the unjust redistricting.

If you look very closely while driving through the Ohio countryside, among the sea of Donald Trump and Bernie Moreno signs, you might just be able to spot another sign in the crowd: a white sign with large bold red lettering that says “STOP GERRYMANDERING,” along with “NO ON ISSUE 1.” 

Although the signs themselves say “stop gerrymandering,” that’s just the thing – voting no on Issue 1 does nothing to stop gerrymandering; a “no” vote upholds the very commission that DOES the gerrymandering in Ohio. According to Citizens not Politicians, the organization behind the citizen-led Issue 1, if the issue were to be passed, it effectively places the power of redrawing state and federal voting districts in the people’s hands. 

By preventing former politicians, party officials, and lobbyists from being on the redistricting commission, and by making it unconstitutional to draw districts in a way that favors a certain political party or politician, Issue 1 would ultimately end the practice of gerrymandering in the state of Ohio. 

As opposed to the current commission made up of politicians, who have proven they cannot be trusted to create fair maps that represent the collective will of the people, Issue 1 is giving voters the choice to finally create fair representation in one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.

Given that gerrymandering is an issue that both sides of the aisle can agree harms the key tenets of democracy and prevents truly fair representation, what does the opposition to this amendment have to say against Issue 1 and in defense of the current commission?

The “arguments” against Issue 1 laid out by those opposed to it reveal the true issue with the opposing side of the argument. While there do exist some valid arguments against the issue, the majority of the arguments are based upon stacks of lies that Ohio politicians have been pushing in order to stay in power. For example, the Ohio Ballot Board, chaired by the Ohio Secretary of State who is also a member of the current overwhelmingly Republican redistricting committee, approved misleading ballot language for Issue 1 meant to confuse and mislead voters.

Gerrymandering is a topic that many do not fully understand, with only 14% of U.S. adults saying they have heard a lot about the redistricting process in their state, and more than 85% saying they have heard a little or nothing at all about legislative redistricting in their state, according to Pew Research Center.

When politicians in power draw the lines to favor a certain group, it directly affects how voters are represented. Although Republicans represent about 56% of Ohio voters on average, they control 66% of the state’s U.S. Congressional seats, 67% of the Ohio House, and 79% of the Ohio Senate. Most voters, unaware of this disparity, never have any further reason to further understand what gerrymandering is.

Knowing this, politicians–in a desperate attempt to stay in power–have resorted to lying about the issue and exploiting the unknowingness of voters, tricking them into voting against their own interests.

One of the claims frequented by the opposing side is that the amendment will remove all accountability to Ohio voters – as it replaces a commission made up of elected officials with an appointed commission consisting of five Republicans, five Democrats, and five Independents. With this, I state the obvious: the existing commission and all parties who benefit from it have already rid accountability to voters due to the fact that gerrymandering creates safe seats where the party in power wins virtually every election.

When you see “NO ON ISSUE 1” signs, you might notice a striking similarity. The signs opposing Issue 1 are designed almost exactly the same as the ones supporting it. Both signs are red and white, and (surprisingly) state very similar slogans. 

“YES ON 1” signs are characterized by having a red background, with white lettering, and the slogan “BAN GERRYMANDERING,” while “NO ON ISSUE 1” signs bear a white background with red lettering, and a slogan stating “STOP GERRYMANDERING.”

This uncanny similarity is yet another deliberate attempt at deceiving voters who might not know what gerrymandering is into voting against the amendment. Voters who are unaware of what gerrymandering is but have a general consensus that it is bad are bound to be tricked by the nearly identical opposing sign. If these politicians cannot be trusted to not make attempts at confusing voters for political gain, they most definitely cannot be trusted to redraw the districts for millions of Ohio citizens.

Time after time, Ohians have proven themselves to be far more intelligent and resilient than many politicians choose to believe. Time and time again, Ohioans have seen through partisan manipulation and political games that were attempts to strip away key freedoms. 

This time, Ohioans will rise to the challenge and take back the power to ensure fair representation – sending a clear message to not only Ohio, but the entire nation that electoral districts should be for the people, by the people, not the political elite.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.