The Ohio Supreme Court Just Greenlit an Egregious "Fraud Upon the Voters"

[Nevilledog]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/ohio-supreme-court-voter-fraud-gop.html


In November, Ohio residents will have an opportunity to vote on Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that would finally abolish the state’s extreme partisan gerrymandering. Voters will not, however, be informed of this fact on the ballot. Instead, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Republican majority ruled Monday that the amendment will be described in egregiously misleading terms on the ballot itself, with ultra-biased language designed to turn citizens against it. Incredibly, a proposal that would end gerrymandering will be framed as a proposal to require gerrymandering, a patently false representation of its intent and effect. The court’s 4–3 decision marks yet another effort to subvert democracy in Ohio by Republicans who fear that the citizenry—when given a voice on the matter—might dare to loosen their stranglehold on power.

The decision in Citizens Not Politicians v. Ohio Ballot Board is the latest volley in a long-standing battle over a simple question: Should Ohio have a representative democracy, or should GOP lawmakers be allowed to draw wildly unrepresentative districts that permanently entrench their rule? For decades, Ohio has been one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. In 2015 and 2018, its voters overwhelmingly approved two constitutional amendments designed to limit partisan influence over maps. The amendments required the Legislature to enact genuinely bipartisan redistricting plans; if lawmakers failed to do so, a new bipartisan board, the Ohio Redistricting Commission, had to draw fair, representative maps.

This process proved easy to game by political actors, because Republican politicians held a majority on the new commission. In 2021 and 2022, this GOP majority enacted a series of flagrant gerrymanders, which the state Supreme Court struck down. The commission flouted the court’s decisions over and over again, running out the clock to the election. It then invited a conservative federal court to impose a gerrymander that the Ohio Supreme Court had already ruled unconstitutional. As a result, the state’s Republicans won a towering and unearned supermajority in the Ohio Legislature.

Issue 1 is a direct response to this disaster. The proposal would repeal most of the earlier amendments and, in their place, create a truly independent redistricting commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats, and five unaffiliated voters. This new board would be obligated to draw legislative and congressional maps that do not unduly favor one party over the other. These maps would prioritize proportionality, meaning that a party should win a number of seats roughly proportional to its statewide vote. So if Republican candidates win about 57 percent of votes, they should win about 57 percent of seats in the state Senate—not 79 percent of seats, as they did under the 2022 gerrymander.

*snip*

[Figarosmom]

1. What else isnew?

Repubs always do this. The dem just have to continue to clarify for normal people. Then when the gerrymandering is revoked in a couple of years comes the clean up ..

[Jmb 4 Harris-Walz]

2. Hopefully the local news stations will clarify the intent for Amendment 1

so voters know how to vote without even reading the “confusing script” on the ballot.

When candidates have rallies they need to address the issue and advise those attending to spread the word.

Need to get a PSA to focus on the issue to the entire state.

[SheltieLover]

3. I would expect nothing less from Ken Blackwell's state

POS.

[strongermessage]

4. What do you expect from Ohio?

For two years, the state legislature ignored a decision of the state Supreme Court mandating fair legislative districts. Not to mention that the state attorney general and secretary of state are both as crooked as the come.

[B.See]

5. More MAGA Republican ratfkry

One can count on them to lie, cheat, deceive, and steal.

Remember: NO LOW IS TOO LOW for them.