From Ariel Miller, FCGG Advocacy Working Group and A Mighty Stream
The Advocacy Working Group and AMS urge all voters to vote Yes on Issue 1: The Citizens Not Politicians constitutional amendment gives Ohioans a tremendous opportunity to restore accountable government for our state by stopping partisan gerrymandering. Ohio is one of America’s ten most gerrymandered states. Issue 1 will prohibit elected officials – who have a built-in conflict of interest – from serving on Ohio’s redistricting commission. Our current commission – all elected officials – produced seven maps all ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2021-22 for gerrymandering. Issue 1 includes provisions to ensure public input and transparency in creating electoral districts. Please inform your congregation and community of what’s at stake, and arm them against the flood of misinformation they will see in ads and the ballot summary written by the Ohio Ballot Board.
The Aug. 26 Citizens Not Politicians Festival of Faiths webinar shows how Ohio’s General
Assembly – elected from gerrymandered districts – is passing policies that defy the views of the majority of Ohio voters on the importance of teaching students about US racial history, on gun safety, and on the environment. Our speakers explain how Issue 1 will stop gerrymandering. You can show this recording to your congregation or request a speaker from the Fair Districts coalition. Issue 1 is endorsed by the Ohio Council of Churches, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, the Ohio Environmental Council, and myriad other nonpartisan civic groups.
The Ballot Board is composed almost entirely of elected officials led by Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who approved our current unconstitutional maps. He opposes Citizens Not Politicians. The Ballot Board’s Issue 1 ballot summary states that the Commission created by the amendment would be “required to gerrymander” congressional and state legislative districts. The summary includes many other distortions. Issue 1 supporters sued to correct this misinformation, but the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on a party line vote that the ballot summary can stand with only minimal changes.
VOTER INFORMATION
Over 180,000 Ohio voters have been removed from the Ohio voter registration list without notification. Also, new regulations require that your name on your ID, such as your driver’s license, must match your name on your registration exactly. If it does not, you need to either re-reregister or complete a name-change form from the Ohio Board of Elections. Check your registration!
https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx
If you need to register or Re-register, do it by OCTOBER 6, 2024
If you encounter a problem accessing their website, please contact their office at 1-877-767-6446 or send an email to [email protected].
Director, Hamilton County Board of Elections
4700 Smith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45212
United States of America
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 (513) 632-7000
Fax: +1 (513) 579-0988
If you plan to drive someone to take their completed ballot to the county Board of Election Drop Box, you must do it during Board of Election hours. The voter will need to sign a form in person before putting their ballot in the drop box. Before you go, call your county Board of Elections to find out their policy.