LONDON, Ohio — The first stop of Ohio Republican Party’s ‘No on One’ bus tour is in London.
They’re making three stops across the southern half of the state, on the first day that early voting is underway. They are trying to convince voters not to change the way the redistricting commission is put together. Traveling across the state in a brightly colored bus, the Ohio Republican Party is making their case why voters should vote “no” on Issue 1.
If it’s passed, Issue 1 would change the Ohio Redistricting Commission from seven politicians to a 15 member bipartisan Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission. But according to the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, Issue 1 has nothing to do with citizens.
“This is certainly not bipartisan by any stretch. One need only look at who’s funding this effort. It is progressive groups from outside Ohio with a keen political and partisan interest. That’s what’s happening here,” said Ohio Republican Party chairman, Alex Triantafilou.
But the group leading the charge on Issue 1 is led by former Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. And while her group says the measure would get rid of gerrymandering in the state, the Ohio Republican Party is pointing to the approved ballot language that says the new commission will be required to gerrymander the state’s districts.
“Forcing gerrymandering on the voters is bad. It’s a process picking the voters, not the voters picking the people that they want representing them. So this would put gerrymandering into our Constitution,” said Triantafilou.
And the bus tour doesn’t end today, the Republican Party says they’re planning to make stops in 30 counties between now and Friday.