Current:Home > NewsOhio lawsuit seeks rewrite of redistricting ballot language dubbed ‘biased, inaccurate, deceptive’-InfoLens
Ohio lawsuit seeks rewrite of redistricting ballot language dubbed ‘biased, inaccurate, deceptive’
View Date:2024-12-23 15:01:47
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court should step in on behalf of voters and order a rewrite of ballot language for a fall redistricting measure that “may be the most biased, inaccurate, deceptive, and unconstitutional” the state has ever seen, argues a lawsuit filed late Monday.
Citizens Not Politicians, the campaign advancing November’s Issue 1, and two individuals brought the promised litigation against the Ohio Ballot Board and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state’s elections chief and the panel’s chair.
“This Court’s intervention is needed to ensure that Ohio voters are provided with the truthful and impartial ballot title and ballot language required by law so that they can exercise their right to determine for themselves whether to amend the Ohio Constitution,” the lawsuit says.
The proposed amendment, advanced by a robust bipartisan coalition, calls for replacing the state’s troubled existing political map-making system, which produced seven sets of Statehouse and congressional maps that were declared unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Ohio’s ruling Republicans. It would replace the existing redistricting commission — made up of four lawmakers, the governor, the auditor and the secretary of state — with a 15-person citizen-led commission of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Members would be selected by retired judges.
At issue in this case is ballot language the ballot board approved Friday along party lines. Among other things, it would describe the proposed constitutional amendment, which seeks to “ban partisan gerrymandering,” as creating a 15-member Citizens Redistricting Commission that would be “required to gerrymander” Ohio’s legislative and congressional districts.
Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, who moved to add that particular phrasing, said the context met the Oxford English Dictionary definition of “gerrymander.”
In its lawsuit, Citizens Not Politicians said the approved ballot language “gets it entirely backward,” since their proposal bans partisan manipulation of the maps. “It does so by ensuring that the plans adopted by the Commission seek to approximate the statewide partisan preferences of Ohioans while drawing geographically contiguous districts that reflect communities of interest,” the lawsuit says,
Redistricting is the process of dividing a state into new districts for conducting elections, typically to reflect updated population figures from the decennial U.S. Census. Gerrymandering is defined as: “to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class.”
The litigation alleges the gerrymandering language and numerous other phrases contained in the 900-word ballot description violate provisions of the Ohio Constitution that require ballot language to properly identify what is being proposed and prohibit wording that may “mislead, deceive, or defraud the voters.”
Other than the change advanced by Gavarone, it was developed by LaRose and his staff in what he has described as a painstaking process aimed at accuracy and fairness.
The lawsuit calls it “an absolute fusillade of falsehoods.” It contends that the wording misdescribes the partisan affiliation requirements of commission members, inaccurately suggests the amendment would limit Ohioans’ rights to “freely express their public opinions,” and falsely states that it would prohibit “any citizen” from filing a lawsuit against the plan “in any court.”
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
“Every single paragraph of the ballot language includes misleading and biased language that further serves to sway voters against the Amendment,” it states.
The ballot board under LaRose has faced several recent lawsuits against its ballot language, alleging the wording was misleading or defective.
Last August, the Republican-majority court invalidated a portion of the wording approved to describe a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to abortion and other forms of reproductive care — though it let stand much of the challenged phrasing. During an unsuccessful U.S. Senate run last year, LaRose revealed that he had consulted prominent anti-abortion groups while drafting the language.
In June 2023, justices ordered the panel to reword its description of a divisive August constitutional amendment that would have made amending Ohio’s constitution harder.
Both LaRose and Gavarone left Friday’s ballot board without speaking to reporters. Instead, they recorded a 35-minute podcast with Republican Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman’s communications chief, John Fortney, defending the ballot board’s actions and blasting the fall proposal — which they have dubbed “Political Outcomes Over People.” — as undemocratic, overbroad and unwieldy.
Amid legal clashes, Ohio’s 2022 elections went forward under unconstitutional maps.
That year, Republicans won 10 of Ohio’s 15 congressional seats under the unconstitutional U.S. House map, though Democrats netted several notable wins. The disputed Statehouse maps yielded even larger Republican supermajorities.
LaRose pointed to those election results during the podcast as evidence Ohio’s system is working.
“Listen, when the voters of Ohio have created a supermajority of Republicans in the House and a supermajority of Republicans in the Senate, and they’ve given every statewide office to Republicans, I think they’re telling us something,” LaRose said on the show. “I think they’re telling us they prefer conservative public policy and they prefer us to operate in that manner.”
veryGood! (31)
Related
- U.S.-Mexico water agreement might bring relief to parched South Texas
- Malaysia to end all mandatory death sentences as capital punishment fades in Southeast Asia
- Taliban bars Afghan women from working for U.N. in latest blow to women's rights and vital humanitarian work
- Pope Francis to be hospitalized for several days with respiratory infection, Vatican says
- Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Phillippe Introduces Adorable New Family Member
- As Finland gets NATO membership, here's what it means and why it matters
- Alibaba is splitting company into 6 business groups
- This Amazon Running Jacket With 7,600+ 5-Star Reviews Is Currently On Sale
- Why Dolly Parton Is a Fan of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Little Love Affair
- Cole Sprouse Recalls Not So Suite First Time Having Sex at 14
Ranking
- BITFII Introduce
- Why Ashley Tisdale Decided to Share Her 10-Year Alopecia Journey
- John McAfee, Software Pioneer, Found Dead In A Spanish Prison Cell
- Queer Eye Star Tom Jackson Dead at 63
- When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
- Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia on espionage charges meets with lawyers, editor says
- Nasty Gal Sale: Shop 20 Under $20 Must-Have Tank Tops, Mini Dresses & More
- FIFA removes Indonesia as host of Under-20 World Cup after protests over Israel
Recommendation
-
These Michael Kors’ Designer Handbags Are All Under $150 With an Extra 22% off for Singles’ Day
-
Guards didn't free migrants as fire spread in deadly Mexican detention center fire, video shows
-
Chrissy Teigen's Red Hot Hair Color Will Have You Booking Your Spring Salon Appointment
-
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Perfects Activewear With Squat-Proof Performance Collection
-
Kalen DeBoer, Jalen Milroe save Alabama football season, as LSU's Brian Kelly goes splat
-
How Bitcoin Has Fueled Ransomware Attacks
-
As Finland gets NATO membership, here's what it means and why it matters
-
FIFA removes Indonesia as host of Under-20 World Cup after protests over Israel