An under-the-radar ballot measure in Ohio could be an ominous sign for the future of democratic rule throughout the United States.
On November 5, along with crucial contests for the White House and Senate, Buckeye State voters will also decide the fate of Issue 1, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would change how political district lines are drawn in the state.
As Ohio businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently warned, Issue 1 is “an out-of-state (and even international) attempt by left-wing politicians to trick voters into rewriting our state constitution.”
Issue 1’s liberal backers claim the measure has “organic grassroots support.” But the effort was really seeded by tens of millions of dollars from ultra-rich Democrat donors like George Soros and Hansjörg Wyss, funneling that money through shadowy political groups run by seasoned Democrat operatives, including former Barack Obama Attorney General Eric Holder and notorious Democrat lawfare purveyor Marc Elias.
Under the current system, the governor, secretary of state, and state auditor work with two Republicans and two Democrats, who are appointed by the legislature, to draw district boundaries for Ohio’s 15 congressional districts, 33 state Senate districts and 99 state House districts.
The new system proposed by Issue 1 is far more confusing and obscure – and therefore ripe for corruption and abuse.
Essentially, redistricting maps would instead be drawn by a 15-member “Citizens Redistricting Commission.” Not only would the commission not be directly accountable to voters, but even contacting a commissioner outside of the approved comment process would be a crime – Free Speech be damned.
And just who would select the members of the commission? The Toledo Blade lays out the entire painstaking 11-step process, but essentially the answer is a panel of four judges – who also aren’t accountable to voters – and a “professional search firm.” Six of the 15 commission members would be randomly selected, and those six would then pick the remaining nine members.
In short, instead of Ohioans voting on the people who control the redistricting process, it would be left up to random chance at best and blatant political cronyism at worst. The only way to remove an unelected commissioner would be through a vote of the other unelected commissioners.
The redistricting commission has been billed as a way to end “gerrymandering,” or the drawing of district lines to intentionally favor one political party. But the fact that this effort in an increasingly Republican state is overwhelmingly backed by Democrat partisans should make Ohioans and all Americans skeptical of the actual intent of this scheme.
Ohio was once a swing state. But voters overwhelmingly backed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 and sent a Republican governor and supermajorities to Columbus in 2022, along with electing Republican JD Vance to the Senate. Now that Democrats have lost the battle of public opinion at the ballot box in Ohio, they’re looking to claw back power through undemocratic “commissions” that aren’t accountable to voters.
The U.S. Constitution allocates the power to draw district lines to state legislatures for a reason – because handing unelected bureaucrats this responsibility gives a few political actors unwarranted control over the democratic process.
There are undoubtedly issues with some congressional and state legislature maps, and Americans are right to be concerned about too much political influence in drawing district lines. But robbing voters of their ability to have a say in the redistricting process makes the problem worse. It is the responsibility of the courts, not government bureaucrats, to adjudicate whether state legislatures have run afoul of the law in drawing new maps.
For the left-wing activists behind this effort, Ohio is a test run for the rest of the country. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which is chaired by Holder and has orchestrated the pro-Issue 1 operation in Ohio, has openly flaunted its plans to back similar ballot initiatives in other red and purple states.
Democrats are clearly playing the long game here. Under the guise of “stopping gerrymandering,” liberal groups are hoping to hand liberal “commissions” control over redistricting in red and purple states while allowing Democrat legislatures to continue drawing maps favorable to Democrats in blue states. The result would be a potentially insurmountable built-in advantage for Democrats in U.S. House and state legislature races nationwide.
Republican leaders from JD Vance and Donald Trump to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson have all warned about the glaring threat Issue 1 poses to democratic accountability. But in a poll conducted in early October, 60 percent of Ohioans said they planned to vote “yes” on the measure, while 20 percent said they plan to vote “no” and another 20 percent were unsure.
The most alarming finding in this poll was the number of Republican voters – 41 percent – who said they planned to back Issue 1. Democrat operatives have clearly succeeded in misleading conservatives about this naked attempt to deprive them of their political power.
If Democrats can succeed in passing Issue 1 in Ohio, it opens the door for similar efforts in red states across the country. Ohio voters should reject it accordingly.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
This article does not state all of the consequences of Issue One such as these commissioners would on this committee FOR LIFE and that the following persons would not be eligible to be on this committee: commissioned military officers, law enforcement officers and judges. Socialism at its best — deceiving and deception
The left will stop at nothing to ensure one party, tyrannical rule. I’m hoping and praying that Ohioans don’t fall for this assault on our liberty, and vote it down overwhelmingly.
This should be challenged immediately in court, whatever the result of the vote it should be nullified. This violates Constitutions both state and federal, and he fact that something so deceptive and malicious could make it onto any ballot is very suspect; surely there were safeguards either ignored or flagrantly broken that should have prevented it from even being possible ! The process and personnel involved in this need to be thoroughly scrutinized with changes made and prosecutions as appropriate.
“Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Marc Elias? Is that not an attempt to skuttle the United States? Is that not a crime? Should they not be prosecuted for criminal intent to harm the United States? Questions abound on this clandestine and crime plot against the United States???”
These types of ballot measures, along with the trend toward rank-choice voting, will spell the end to two party ruling and we will NEVER get Democrats out of government. Boss Tweed in all 50 states is their goal!
This is an effort to rewrite the constitution and make the citizenry non voters. After all Biden has said they know best how to rule the country. Raise our children. We will be ruled by commissions appointed by the party in charge. Can’t be disbanded or replace commission members. Only through internal vote. It’s an open and shut committee. No citizens need apply. Trump was prophetic when he said a vote for me will be the last time you get to vote. Because this set up in Ohio when it becomes law will be in every state of the Union. O could control the blacks during his presidency. Now the blacks feel empowered and want to chose a president they think is good for them. So what does O do he ordered them to vote for Harris. Only he miscalculated. They feel O made out that they are stupid cant think for themselves. The dems think that we should follow them blindly. If all the lies that they have spread about Trump were shown to the masses as untrue there would be a war going on. If every American knew about what the dems are doing behind the scenes to ruin this country there would be a war. Foreign countries are sending people to campaign for Harris. They quietly try to usurp the constitution with laws like the one in Ohio. If it passes there, it will be on every ballot in every state in the future. VOTE TRUMP VANCE to keep America a Constitutional Republic.
You’ve waited too long to call out the issue. A large proportion of voters have already voted! Modern day Democrats are, indeed, sly and evil. They pretend to want to bring things to the citizen level, but really intend to overthrow the Constitutional Republic. They don’t care if YOU are allowed a say, only that THEY are.
Democrats are despicable
The “ranked voting” issue is on the ballot ( prop 140) here in AZ with all the Commies touting how much more fair it makes elections. It will make us like CA if it is not defeated. All one has to do is look at CA and what a disgusting mess that state has become to realize that the DC crowd wants us to be another Communist hell-hole!! Not long ago, CA was a bastion of Conservatism!!
Bottom line: the democrats are bleeding from the eyes to rule this country. Kingship, fifedom, ruler, potentate…whatever. They will deceive, obfuscate, twist, lie, and no doubt even eventually, kill or imprison those who “disagree”. Think of the Jan. 6th prisoners, never charged with any crime yet in conditions that would make even a Chinese jail look appealing. This nation is under attack unlike ever before in it’s relatively short life save when England was determined to rule America. A few years back, AOC, not the brightest bulb in the pack, was suggesting those who don’t follow their rules should be put in jail cells. Think back also to a once free and open little country just south of Florida…
We can’t focus on one act, but the sum of all the acts being classified under some inane title. There is no decency, care, or concern about what we the people think. Just as democrat “governors” as is in my state of Colorado, are determined to disarm citizens…add the “criminal justice system” that’s been deliberately dumbed down over the last 3 decades, as the left dreams up more and more “gun laws”…rulers cannot abide an armed citizenry. Our Second Amendment is only second to free speech…and how’s that working for us? I can just about guarantee that if this present abomination is brought to the table, and it already has been in some states, there is no doubt or indeed hope, there may be a battle by citizens unlike this nation has ever seen save the war against England in the 1700’s. The democrats will continue to dump laws after edicts after rules but there will come a time when all pretense will be out the window. To many un-American and treasonous acts have already been committed and put into place as “law”. It’s not just individual acts but the sum of all Constitutionally illegal acts that have incrementally erased our Bill of Rights and freedoms as sovereign Americans. The left, including rinos, have declared, so far, a subtle war on this Republic. Are we to resign ourselves or fight back? Sorry if I sound like a rabble rouser but having watched the deterioration starting with the firey executions of American citizens under a sitting president my entire life was changed in 51 days of unbelief and horror. He was never charged with mass murder. In fact those who participated in this nightmare were never charged or even reprimanded. Add the “media” who cheered on the carnage. Can this happen again? Don’t be complacent.
They did that in New Mexico to ensure that no Republican would ever achieve a “high office“ in that state. I fled. Governor MLG, a.k.a. “Hitler in drag” controls NM in much the way SOBiden/SOBama/Soros/Harris control America.
Unfortunately, the left understands pyschology better than their opponents. They’re banking on voter laziness and thats often a safe bet. People imagine some sort of magical process that will make everyone happy. In fact, all issue one does is hand gerrymandering to the dems; in perpetuity.
I don’t see a problem with their current system: 2 GOP; 2Dem; the governor, secretary of state, and state auditor. What am I missing?
The Nazicratic way, steal, rob and kill.
SO you want Comunifornia ways to lead you.
Stupid is as stupid does
watch Out California ‘IS’ a totalitarianism regime. I know lived here for 70 years and it only gets worse by the day Newsome the king does as he pleases and us peasants have to pay for it.
Ranked choice voting has the same liability: complicating the vote by manipulating votes after the election. Do the sponsors of such changes think we will give up on freedom and let them do as they please?????????
Please also check out Proposition 1 in NY state. Another definite NO vote!
America’a”democratic process” is for sale to the highest bidder.
Democrats play the long game and they play it very very well. Their goal is the total Destruction of this nation as we know it. The end of Elections and they want to be in power forever. They will burn this nation to the ground just so they can rule over the ashes. Make no mistake about it, the Democrat Party is the Antichrist, and the epitome of evil
Vote NO in New York for Prop #!
Thank you for this information. We had NO IDEA this is going on!!! My Goodness! THEY are certainly ‘coming for us’, aren’t they?!! All it takes is ‘a dumbed-down populace’ who can’t read. Hmmmmm… like MOST schoolchildren today? and even High School students? Hmmm… sounds like a Planned Heist to me.
“Democratic Rule”. Shane like most people who describe America you Fail to understand the United states of America is a “Representative REPUBLIC” NOT a Democracy and that is exactly why “Issue 1” is unconstitutional. 41% of Republican voters favor “Issue 1” is a perfect example of what Public School Indoctrination has done for Ohio. As long as we have voters IGNORANT of the facts of Socialism, Communism, and Totalitarian Government (Which we are very close to having) we will still have voters making STUPID decisions.
I don’t think people know better, than to vote yes, on issue 1..so many ads making it sound like it is so citizens take control not gov and it is a lie. The Dems are plain immoral, for not being truthful and getting votes for lying! Also, it is not easy to research the truth about the issues.
What the hell is going on in this country. This is unbelievable.
I am an AMAC reader. Have been for years. This changing the Ohio Constitution! I. hope Vivek can alert enough. people. Here in Montana they arguing fr Rank Choice Voting !!!! I voted NO on all 3 Constitutional Amendments for Montana. Thank you for your online news too.
For those Americans preferring illogical rhetoric to commonsense legislations, or simply feel they should now be like other nations in northern Europe, or appeasing those nations they originated from by deception to transform USA by embracing despot ruling via indoctrination at all levels of education, federal agencies wanting to control freedom and speech will come at an exorbitant price. incarcerations, death by lies of insurrection, or other nefarious actions.
We need more States Rights but Soros money goes across state lines.
A misinformed and gullible electorate is the greatest danger to democracy. While corrupt and evil men have always been trying to take away our rights, ultimately it is the voter who is at fault if they succeed. May God grant the voters of Ohio the good judgment to know when they are being so actively mislead and with the will to resist this.
Ohio issue 1 blatantly states that the new commission is to create districts that favor either democrats or republicans. This issue is the very definition of gerrymandering.
It also states that when considering districts, political alignment is the top priority. Cities, counties, and regional community groups be damned, which is the opposite of current laws. In other words, we could end up with local black community (just as an example) split into many different districts.
It also states that when voting on new gerrymandered district plans, if one plan doesn’t receive the required votes, a ranked choice system will be used to determine which plan to go with. In a nut shell, the most popular plan is tossed and those voting for it as their first choice will have their votes distributed to a less popular plan. This cycle will continue until a less popular plan (or most unpopular plan) finally gets enough votes. Note that they don’t throw out the worst plans and redistribute those votes. This process guarantees that unless a plan gets enough votes on vote #1, Ohio will be stuck with a worse plan.
Unfortunately, we have a LOT of very naive Ohio residents who are falling for the deceitful ads run by the left
Any person who claims to be a republican, yet takes a democrats side in anything, is crooked , and they should not be allowed to vote with the democrats.
This extremely bad idea is not new . . . several states have commissions. This is from the BallotPedia website:
HIGHLIGHTS
Congressional redistricting: Eleven states use commissions to draw congressional district lines, including states with hybrid methods. Nine of these are non-politician commissions. One state, New Jersey, has a politician commission, and one state, Virginia, has an equal number of politicians and non-politicians.
State legislative redistricting: Sixteen states use commissions for state legislative redistricting, including states with hybrid methods. Ten of these are non-politician commissions. Five are politician commissions, and Virginia’s commission has an equal number of politicians and non-politicians.
the people MUST inform themselves of ALL political issues and make their minds up without ANY help/ coercion!
This is what we don’t need in Ohio or any other state. It is corruptible before it begins to be implemented. Don’t be so quick to let anything be changed in your state constitution.
AMAC – love your articles! But… I have bad vision, and I find your ‘robot’ pics too unclear, and images too far in the distance to be recognizable or even seen, too often. Can you aim to do something about that. Also, your direction is usually (always?) in plurals. But sometimes there appears to be ‘only one’ of that item. So when you ask for ‘cars’ and there is only one, I look and look and look for more, but I can’t see if things in the distance on the photo are ‘cars’ or not! Also, does it need ‘every single pic pixel’ to be checked?
A simple way to determine such things? Just follow the money.
I just started 3 weeks ago this web income system that my friend recommended to me and I’ve gotten 2 checks for a total of $9,200… this is the best decision I made in a long time! This extra cash has changed my life in so many ways, thank you!
Here is I started_______ homeincometoday.pages.dev
It’s The Democratic Way..get used to it.
This is a lost cause. Just like the abortion issue was.
I just started 3 weeks ago this web income system that my friend recommended to me and I’ve gotten 2 checks for a total of $9,200… this is the best decision I made in a long time! This extra cash has changed my life in so many ways, thank you!
Here is I started_______ homeincometoday.pages.dev