Election Night, 11/5/2024

To Common Cause Ohio:

It hurts to say it, but the Associated Press has called it: Issue 1 did not pass. “No” votes surpassed “Yes” votes for the Citizens Not Politicians amendment. We won’t call it a loss, because it wasn’t a fair fight. We didn’t lose the contest over ideas and policies, we lost because one side decided to trick voters into voting the opposite way from what they actually wanted. When Sec. of State Frank LaRose and the Ballot Board wrote ballot language to deceive voters, they must have known they couldn’t win in a fair fight.

It would be a lie to say that this doesn’t hurt – it hurts a lot! But we are also immensely proud and grateful for the work put in by thousands of redistricting reform advocates and volunteers all across Ohio. Your tireless, selfless, and meaningful work is what continues to give us hope for democracy.

The outcome of this election is sadly an illustration of why ending gerrymandering is a prerequisite for any other democracy reform: it’s nearly impossible to make progress when the people who draw rigged voting districts are in charge.

There’s still so much democracy work to be done in Ohio. We look forward to working with you on fair elections, dark money, voting access, and so much more.

Thank you for all you have done this year, and for all your do every day,

Catherine Turcer, Mia Lewis, Kelly Dufour, and CJ Wilson, the Common Cause Ohio Team