by JD Davidson
Democrats called the latest version of primary ballot records fraudulent and misleading after the Ohio State Election Commission made court-ordered changes Wednesday.
Ohio Supreme Court he ordered The Board of Supervisors amended two of the eight areas of ballot provisions in Issue 1, which concern restrictions on challenging court decisions and the public’s right to influence the Commission.
The changes were approved Wednesday morning by a 3-2 vote by the Republican Party, after an entirely fresh wording was rejected by the Citizens, Not Politicians group, which placed the question on the ballot.
Two Democratic Party board members repeated allegations that the wording did not reflect the issues voters face.
“The final language approved by the majority of the Board of Elections does not and has never reflected the views of the majority of Ohioans,” said Rep. Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland. (*1*)
Issue 1 would change the way the state draws congressional and state Capitol districts, taking the process away from the Ohio Redistricting Commission — a political group made up of five Republicans and two Democrats — and putting it in the hands of a nonpolitical citizens’ committee of 15 people, including Republicans, Democrats and independents.
Citizens Not Politicians proposed the ballot text, which was participated in by 15 members who had no disqualifying conflicts of interest and who demonstrated the ability to conduct the redistricting process in an impartial, fair, and sincere manner.
The Electoral Commission approved a provision stating that the fresh commission will be “committed to gerrymandering” electoral districts.
The Supreme Court opinion said it can force changes to language only if it finds that the wording would mislead, deceive or defraud voters. The majority ruled that most of the language does not do that.
Democrats on the court, in their dissenting opinion, said almost the entire record should be rewritten.
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Born in Ohio, J.D. Davidson is a seasoned journalist with more than 30 years of experience at newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor Central Square.
Photo “Ohio Supreme Court Building” by Photo by Sixflash.CC BY-SA 4.0.
