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Voting in Ohio: Anti-Gerrymandering Ballot Initiative

Proposed Amendment

Proposed Amendment
As of 10/02/23, Attorney General Yost approved the language. The Ohio Ballot Board approved it on 11/20/23. Almost twice the required signatures were turned in 7/1/24.

Litigation

OPAWL v. Yost
Plaintiffs in the US Dist Ct of Ohio, Eastern Division, maintain that a law prohibiting non-citizens from contributing to ballot initiatives would “unconstitutionally impede public debate through the enforcement of new broad and sweeping prohibitions" on ballot issue spending.

Links

It's official: Ohio redistricting amendment makes November ballot.
Cincinnati.com 7/23/24
Independent redistricting panels aim to draw fairer maps but still invite controversy
CNN 12/15/21
Ohio will use same unconstitutional congressional maps in 2024, as court dismisses legal challenges
Cleveland.com, 9/7/23
Proposed Ohio constitutional amendment seeks to end gerrymandering after legislature defied courts
Putting an Issue on the Ballot
From the Ohio Secretary of State's website
Redistricting Commissions
Wikipedia article discussing how the states do redistricting

New Ohio Law

New Law Prohibiting Contributions from Non-Citizens to Ballot Initiatives
May 2024 Special Session

US Supreme Court

Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP (2024)
US Supreme Court decided South Carolina's legislative district maps are not unconstitutionally gerrymandered.
Rucho v. Common Cause (2019)
Partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.