The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 4, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

After Ohio voters defeated a GOP attempt last year to make it harder to pass ballot initiatives, democracy groups are now proposing two constitutional amendment ballot measures to expand voting rights, and fix Ohio’s failed redistricting system.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative and Citizens Not Politicians are launching efforts to amend the Ohio constitution to expand voting rights and establish a truly independent redistricting commission.  Ohioans endured three years of state and federal litigation after the politician-led commission and legislature proposed gerrymandered voting district maps, later rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court.

The “Citizens Not Politicians” amendment would create a transparent, 15-member citizen commission made up of voters registered as Republicans, Democrats and independents, and make it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that favor or disfavor any party or politician. 

The “Secure and Fair Elections” amendment would implement an automatic  voter registration system at the state’s motor vehicle offices, allow election day registration, give counties flexibility to expand early voting days, and implement a sworn affidavit system for voters without acceptable ID.  December 28th, the Ohio Attorney General rejected the language of the Secure and Fair amendment as too vague, but is allowing the organizers to resubmit new language.    Both campaigns are in their early stages, and must collect over 413,000 verified signatures.  

We have more information on both initiatives and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NPR – Ohio voters reject measure that would have made it harder to change constitution
Ohio Capital Journal – Signature collection can begin anew after Ohio redistricting amendment passes next step
Citizens Not Politicians – Language for Fair Redistricting “Citizens Not Politicians” Amendment
Cleveland.com – Ohio could see ballot issue expanding voting access on November 2024 ballot
Dayton Daily News – Ohio AG rejects summary language of amendment to protect, expand voting rights

Democracy Docket – Ohio Attorney General Rejects Language For Expansive Voting Rights Amendment
Ohio Attorney General – Letter Rejecting Language of the Secure and Fair Elections amendment

Groups Taking Action:
Citizens Not Politicians, Ohio Organizing Colaborative, Common Cause OH, League of Women Voters OH

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #OhioPolitics  #CitizensNotPoliticians #SecureandFairElections

The post Ohio Voters May See Both Voting Rights and Anti-Gerrymandering Amendments on the November 2024 Ballot appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 15, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

With 70% of the vote in 2018, Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering.  The state’s redistricting commission and legislature ignored it, and gerrymandered the voting district maps anyway.  Citizens are now trying to fix what the politicians won’t.

WOSU reports that democracy groups are preparing a 2024 citizen ballot initiative to overhaul Ohio’s redistricting commission.  The current seven-member commission is composed of the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and members appointed by the Senate and House majority and minority leaders – all politicians.  The commission produced four sets of maps, all rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court as partisan gerrymanders.  Mapmaking then reverted to the Ohio General Assembly, which also failed to produce fair maps.  A gerrymandered map was used for the 2022 elections.

The 2024 constitutional amendment is entitled “An amendment to replace the current politician-run redistricting process with a citizen-led commission required to create fair state legislative and congressional districts through a more open and independent system.”   

The details of the proposal aren’t yet available, but in addition to its partisan nature, experts say the current system failed because of the lack of an enforcement mechanism, and no clear direction on whose maps were the final authority.  

We have resources on how other citizen-run state redistricting commissions work at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Ohio Capital Journal – (2022) Public awaits more redistricting work, but new law gives court little leeway to force it
Ohio Capital Journal – (2022)  Discussions underway to propose new redistricting reform to Ohio voters
WOSU – Groups gathering signatures to get citizen-led statewide redistricting commission on the 2024 ballot
Ohio Redistricting Commission – What the Commission Does
Ohio Redistricting Commission – Public Comments
Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission – FAQ Page
California Independent Redistricting Commission – FAQ Page
BallotPedia – States with Redistricting Commissions

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause Ohio, League of Women Voters OH, Fair Districts Ohio, Indivisible Central Ohio

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE! 
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!
#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #OhioPolitics

The post Ohio’s Politician-Led Redistricting Commission Failed.  Citizens Are Proposing a Citizen-Led Commission Instead. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.