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Voters will decide Ohio redistricting initiative No. 1
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Voters will decide Ohio redistricting initiative No. 1

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Ohio number 1which would give citizens the power to draw congressional and state legislative districts, fails with the early election results.

A vote for Question 1 would create a 15-member commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents to draw districts for candidates representing Ohioans in Columbus and Washington, DC. Members of the commission could not be elected officials, candidates, lobbyists or campaign staff.

Issue 1 would also change how they have to draw the maps, with more emphasis on matching how Ohioans vote in statewide elections. This would hold communities of interest together, but impose no limits on how often a city, county or township is divided.

Ohio Number 1 Results

A vote against Question 1 would maintain redistricting rules approved by Ohioans in 2015 and 2018. Under the current system, a commission of seven elected members manages the state’s redistricting and draws the congressional map if state lawmakers cannot agree.

Supporters say Ohio’s No. 1 will prevent self-interested politicians from rigging statehouse and congressional districts for their own benefit and that of their allies. They point to maps that the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected seven times as unconstitutional gerrymandering.

Opponents of No. 1 Ohio say the current system isn’t perfect, but the new measure would make redistricting worse. Voters could not recall citizen commissioners; only the other members of the commission could.

Read the proposed amendment here:

This story will be updated

Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics for the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.