The following vote amounts and percentages are from unofficial results as of 11:04 pm Tuesday.
Issue 1, which sought to ban politicians and lobbyists from the redistricting process, did not pass in Ohio.
According to the Associated Press’ unofficial results as of 11:03 p.m. Tuesday, 86%, or almost 5 million, of the votes are counted for the issue. Opponents of Issue 1 cast about 2.68 million votes, or 54.3%, while supporters total 2.25 million votes, or 45.7%.
In Athens County, as of 10:05 p.m. Tuesday, Issue 1 received a large amount of support with 13,522 or 57.94% of the county’s votes. The county received 23,337 total ballots cast on Issue 1 with 9,815 or 42.06% of the county’s votes against it.
“Issue 1 explicitly requires Ohio to ban partisan gerrymandering and prohibit the use of redistricting plans that favor one political party and disfavor others,” according to the League of Women Voters of Ohio’s website.
The proposed amendment was originally proposed by retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and former democratic Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown, according to the LWV.
The LWV said a petition to put the amendment on the ballot was signed by residents in both blue and red counties.
“Ohio is right now one of the 10 most gerrymandered states in America,” according to the Citizens Not Politicians website.
The amendment was supposed to create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of Democrats, Republicans and independent citizens while banning current or former lobbyists and politicians from the redistricting process.
The LWV said accountability was a goal of Issue 1. The proposed amendment included open meetings for the public’s feedback and a transparent commission selection process.
