Members of marginalized communities sometimes remind advocates, “Nothing for us without us.” This is the refrain I’d like to share with those who question the merits of the Citizens Not Politicians ballot measure. If you are not a member of a marginalized community, you shouldn’t tell those who are what is and isn’t racist. You should take their lead in determining what is and is not a barrier to voting. If you haven’t suffered due to gerrymandered maps, you shouldn’t attempt to speak for those who have.

For too long, Americans have been cajoled into silence by political leaders and political players who believe they know what is best for others. We see this in top-down organizations that fancy themselves the authority on all issues, regardless of historical experience or personal proximity to pain. We see this among those who are not in community with, nor accountable to, directly impacted people. We see this during election season when political parties declare they know which candidates are best for the rest of us.

We’ve seen and heard enough. Whenever someone states that the Citizen’s Not Politicians ballot initiative won’t work, consider whether they live in gerrymandered or hyper-partisan districts. Ohioans have given elected leaders multiple chances to draw fair maps. In recent years, they have failed every time. On seven occasions, the Ohio Supreme Court has said the current redistricting commission made of politicians drew unconstitutional, gerrymandered maps. The United States Supreme Court has ruled similarly in redistricting cases in Alabama and Louisiana.

The truth is that restoring the balance of power between voters and politicians disrupts the status quo. And that’s not always a good thing for political leaders. I think some have forgotten that they work for us, not the other way around. When I consider the ballot language written by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose distorting and misrepresenting the Citizens Not Politicians amendment, I’m reminded that our leaders have forgotten that they should advance our interests, not their own.

Instead, LaRose is proposing false and biased ballot language designed to mislead the voters. The language is not just harmful, it is dangerous. 

More than a half million Ohioans signed petitions for an amendment to appear on the ballot that explicitly would “ban partisan gerrymandering and prohibit the use of redistricting plans that favor one political party and disfavor others.” The Ballot Board adopted language that falsely states the opposite.

The words of Frederick Douglass ring true: “Power concedes nothing without a demand, it never has and it never will.” The vanguards of power will never willingly admit that they have amassed more power than they should. It is in our collective best interest to restore power to the people. It’s time to shift the balance of power away from entrenched political leaders to those who favor freedom and democracy.

Every voter should have a chance to elect their representatives, and the only way to do that is to put voters in charge of the map-making process. And every politician should respect the fact that voters choose their elected leaders, not the other way around.

It’s clear to me that public service should be a calling, where elected officials honor the sacred trust instilled in them. However, the language presented to the Ohio Ballot Board on redistricting is the latest in a string of sad examples of politicians abusing their power. This isn’t about furthering democracy; it’s about furthering authoritarianism.

It’s clear politicians are desperate to keep their unearned power and are willing to stoop low to stop us. Ohioans didn’t fall for these tricks last August in the special election, and they won’t fall for it this time either. 

Tom Roberts is the president of the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP.

Read the original piece here.