The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, September 20, 2023, at 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)
The two Democrats on the Ohio Ballot Board called out the state attorney general for speaking on their behalf in a lawsuit about ballot language for the proposed redistricting amendment, and wrote their own court document agreeing that the language violates the constitution.
The Ohio Ballot Board decides what language voters will see on their ballots when they go to vote, but that summary language does not change what the proposed amendment would actually do. In a 3-2 vote, the Ohio Ballot Board approved summary language that supporters of the anti-gerrymandering amendment say is biased against the amendment.
The board is now being sued by authors of the amendment for approving language attorneys for Citizens Not Politicians say is deceptive and misleading to the voters. The language was written by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and his staff, as LaRose told the board and attendees of the August board meeting in which the language was approved .