That lack of proportionality now is a driving factor behind Issue 1. Ohio’s gerrymandered maps give Republicans oversized power in the General Assembly and in representation to Congress.

Issue 1 proponents say Ohio’s current maps give Republicans an unearned advantage. For example, former GOP President Donald Trump won Ohio with 53% of the vote in 2020. Yet, Republicans hold 67% of seats in Congress, 68% of seats in the Ohio House of Representatives and 79% of seats in the Ohio Senate.

Meanwhile, opponents say the question was already answered when voters overwhelmingly approved anti-gerrymandering rules in 2015 and 2018. For the average Ohioan, gerrymandering can sound more like a rare amphibian than a political process that influences everything from taxes and school policy to abortion access and gun control.