“Politicians and lobbyists put their fingers on the scale by rigging voting districts giving more power to the rich and elite”

COLUMBUS – The Yes on Issue 1 campaign has launched its latest ad and it asks one simple question: “If there are so many of us and so few of them, why do they have all the power?”

Answer: “It’s because politicians and lobbyists put their fingers on the scale by rigging voting districts giving more power to the rich and elite that fund their campaigns.”

Using simple imagery of an unbalanced scale, the ad shows how the influence of politicians and lobbyists outweighs everyday citizens under the current, rigged system and how Issue 1 will tip the balance back where it belongs – with citizens in charge.

“Ohio’s Issue 1 would fix that. It would ban politicians from Gerrymandering and put citizens in charge of creating fair voting districts returning power to Ohio citizens where it belongs. Issue one power for the people.”

Issue 1 is on the statewide ballot in the Nov. 5 election, and early voting started on Oct. 8. More than half a million Ohio Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from all 88 counties signed petitions to put the amendment on the ballot. It will end gerrymandering in Ohio by removing politicians and lobbyists from the map-drawing process. Instead, an open and transparent process led by Ohio citizens will take the reins, ensuring that district lines are drawn fairly and impartially.

The ad’s release comes at a pivotal time, as Ohio continues to grapple with the ramifications of gerrymandered district maps. Ohio is one of the top 10 most gerrymandered states in the country. Under the current system, backroom deals allow politicians and lobbyists to manipulate voting districts for personal and party gain, a practice Issue 1 will end once and for all.

The new ad is just the latest in a series of spots from the nonpartisan grassroots coalition:

• On Oct. 7, the campaign launched an ad featuring an Ohio veteran drawing on his military service to highlight the importance of protecting democracy and ensuring that citizens—not politicians—are in control of drawing Ohio’s voting district maps. That ad is available here.
• Sept. 25, to counter lies from the politicians designed to divide the Black community, some of the most prominent civil rights leaders in Ohio issued statements of support and appeared in a new ad calling on all Ohioans to vote yes on Issue 1 to end gerrymandering. That ad is available here.
• Sept. 24, the citizens coalition launched a $20 million broadcast blitz with a TV advertisement speaking directly to the Buckeye State’s diverse citizenry, underscoring that conservative, progressive and independent Ohioans all agree on one thing: Yes on 1 will end gerrymandering by firing the politicians. That ad is available here.
• Sept. 17 they appealed to Ohio State football fans as the season kicked off with a statewide digital ad showing how LaRose and his politician comrades have as much integrity as the cheating former head coach of the University of Michigan football team.

More than 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio champion the constitutional amendment. The diverse coalition supporting the historic initiative includes Republicans, Independents and Democrats and is made up of business groups, nonpartisan policy groups, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and faith-based organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans across the political spectrum.

A bipartisan group of more than 90 business leaders has also released an open letter endorsing the amendment.

Gerrymandering, the practice of drawing political boundaries to favor a particular party or group, undermines fair representation and effective policy. Ohio is recognized as one of the worst states for gerrymandering, affecting the lives of millions of Ohioans.

The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:

• Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens representing the state’s diverse geography and demographics.
• Ban current or former politicians, political party officials, and lobbyists from serving on the commission.
• Require the creation of fair and impartial districts, prohibiting any drawing of voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
• Operate under an open and independent process.
• For more information about the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment, visit www.citizensnotpoliticians.org.

Read the Issue 1 Fact Check Guide before publishing or posting a statement from any politician opposing Issue 1.  

Citizens Not Politicians is a grassroots, nonpartisan coalition of Republican, Democratic and Independent Ohio voters and includes nearly 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio supporting a constitutional amendment that will end gerrymandering in the state.