“Voters should be empowered to select their representatives, not the other way around.”

COLUMBUS – In an open letter available on the Ohio Black Judges Association (OBJA) website, the Ohio Black Judges Association announced its endorsement of Issue 1, the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment, that will eliminate gerrymandering in Ohio. The amendment will create an independent commission to ensure fair, representative voting districts and to remove partisan influence from the redistricting process.

The OBJA expressed strong support for Issue 1, emphasizing the need for a political process that promotes fairness and upholds the foundational democratic principle of “one person, one vote.” In their open letter, OBJA underscores that “political fairness is essential, especially in the construction of voting districts. Voters should be empowered to select their representatives, not the other way around.”

Highlighting the amendment’s potential impact, the OBJA noted that competitive political races foster officials who are attentive to all constituents rather than solely to their political base. “Competitive political races will result in elected officials who are forced to consider the views of every constituent to get elected, not just those of their political base,” the letter states, further emphasizing that this approach is essential for laws that improve the administration of justice and represent the views of all Ohioans.

The co-chairs of the OBJA are Judge Emanuella D. Groves of the Eighth District Court of Appeals and Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. OBJA represents judges at every level of the Ohio judiciary and works to illuminate issues of implicit and explicit bias, procedural fairness and racial fairness through continuing education for the legal profession and work in the community.

The endorsement from OBJA reflects growing support from diverse organizations committed to fostering transparent, representative governance across Ohio.

More than a half million Ohio Republicans, Democrats and Independents from all 88 counties signed petitions to put the amendment on the ballot. It will put an end to 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.

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. Ohio is one of the 10 most gerrymandered states in the country.

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 unfairly 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.