Regardless of whether you are voting for incumbent Marcy Kaptur (D) or Derek Merrin (R), I urge you to vote ‘yes’ on Issue 1 to have fair legislative maps drawn in an open, transparent process.

As Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and former resident of Fremont, I have the honor of leading an organization that has been advocating for fair maps in Ohio for decades. Both Democrats and Republicans have gerrymandered districts to protect their power at the expense of fair representation for all Ohioans.

We urge you to vote ‘yes’ on Issue 1 because we need to remove politicians and lobbyists from the map-drawing process. Thousands of our volunteers collected signatures in the rain, sleet and snow in support of Issue 1, because they know that gerrymandering is fueling partisan divides and government dysfunction.

You’re going to see confusing language about Issue 1 on your ballot that’s meant to trick you — it’s written by the exact same politicians who are desperate to protect the broken status quo. Please remember that the ballot language has no impact on what the constitutional amendment actually says and does. Issue 1 will “ban partisan gerrymandering and prohibit the use of redistricting plans that favor one political party and disfavor others.”

It’s as simple as that.

The League recently released a report, “Ohio’s Congressional Districts: Disparities, Divisions, & Disadvantages,” examining how gerrymandering has distorted our state’s representation. Ohio’s current redistricting system is so deeply flawed that it perpetuates divisions and leaves many communities, especially marginalized ones, without a meaningful voice in government.

Over two-thirds of Ohioans now live in uncompetitive voting districts, which denies voters true choices. Similarly, 67 school districts, including 13 small districts with just two buildings, are split into multiple congressional districts. These unnatural boundaries force communities with unique needs to compete within the same district, resulting in diluted representation, eroded accountability, and officeholders who are unable or unwilling to craft true policy solutions that work for their constituents.

This manipulation isn’t an accident; it’s a calculated effort by politicians to secure their interests at the expense of fair governance. Issue 1 will create a transparent and independent redistricting process in Ohio that will benefit everyone, regardless of political affiliation. Here’s how.

The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:

• Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of equal numbers 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 with robust public engagement.

This is why so many Ohioans — Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, and everyone in between — have come together in support of Issue 1.

Let’s choose fair representation for ourselves and future generations. Vote YES on Issue 1 to end gerrymandering and put the power back in the hands of Ohioans, where it belongs.

Read the original piece here.