State Issue 4 creates an Independent Redistricting Commission to approve the shape, size, and composition of Ohio’s congressional and General Assembly districts. The stated purpose is to ensure more competitive elections than typically occur under the present system.

Today, the configuration of Ohio’s congressional districts is established by an act of the Ohio General Assembly, which must be signed by the governor. The configuration of General Assembly districts is determined by the five-member Apportionment Board. The Apportionment Board is made up of the governor, the auditor of state, the secretary of state, and one person from the two major political parties, chosen by each party’s leadership in the General Assembly.

If State Issue 4 passes, the Apportionment Board would be replaced by an Independent Redistricting Commission comprised of five members, two of which would be appointed by the longest-serving appeals court judges of each party. The two judicially-appointed members would select the remaining three members. None of the members of the Independent Redistricting Commission would be accountable directly to voters.

Under Article 11 of the Ohio Constitution, the Apportionment Board must seek to form districts from a whole county or counties, when feasible, and, when not, by combining the areas of governmental units giving preference in the order named to counties, townships, municipalities, and city wards.

Under the proposed language of State Issue 4, the utmost criterion used to select a redistricting plan is a “competitiveness number.” Whether the plan follows political boundaries as much as possible or divides townships or municipalities up into multiple districts is of secondary importance.

By law, the five-member, non-partisan Ohio Ballot Board designates a group of individuals to prepare and file arguments in support of or in opposition to each proposed constitutional amendment. Click below to read the official arguments regarding State Issue 4:

Groups urging a “NO” vote on State Issue 4 include: Christian Coalition of Ohio Citizens for Community Values NFIB-Ohio Ohio Association of Realtors Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Ohio Concrete Construction Association Ohio Contractors’ Association Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Ohio Dental Association Ohio Restoration Project Ohio Trucking Association Pro-Family Network United Conservatives of Ohio For Good Government Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce Groups urging a “YES” vote on State Issue 4 include: Common Cause League of Women Voters of Ohio Ohio AFL-CIO Ohio Civil Service Employees Association Ohio Education Association Ohio Environmental Council Ohio Federation of Teachers Ohio League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Ohio Public Interest Research Group Ohio Taxpayers Association Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio Sierra Club of Ohio

Newspaper Editorials on State Issue 4