The existing redistricting system — approved by voters in 2015 and 2018 — isn’t very effective and needs changes.

That’s the opinion of Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican and member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, as well as plenty of Democrats. The commission drew state legislative and congressional maps that have met with criticism.

A group, Citizens Not Politicians, collected more than enough signatures to get a redistricting reform constitutional amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot that would put the power of drawing maps in the hands of a 15-member panel of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents.

This, too, has received criticism, largely from Republicans. DeWine said under the proposal, proportionality — matching voting results in statewide partisan elections during the past decade, which is about 57% Republican and 43% Democrat — “trumps everything else.”

He also says if the amendment is adopted, “Ohio would actually end up with a system that mandates — that compels — map drawers to produce gerrymandered districts. In fact, Ohio would have gerrymandering to the extreme.”

Maureen O’Connor, a retired Ohio Supreme Court chief justice and a Republican who sided with the three Democratic justices against the constitutionality of seven GOP-drawn maps, said, “The disinformation from the governor” is “insulting to everyone in Ohio.”

The Ohio Ballot Board — a little known body that has three Republicans and two Democrats — decides what language voters will see on ballots for statewide issues.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican and the board’s chairman, and his staff came up with language that states the constitutional amendment — billed as an anti-gerrymandering proposal — actually encourages gerrymandering.

Predictably, the language passed 3-2 and just as predictable, Citizens Not Politicians filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn the language.

In all likelihood, the court — consisting of four Republicans and three Democrats — will keep most of the Ohio Ballot Board language in place.

The language adopted by the ballot board is 873 words compared to a 172-word proposal from Citizens Not Politicians.

Among the 10 points in the board’s ballot language is to “establish a new taxpayer-funded commission of appointees required to gerrymander the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts to favor either of the two largest political parties in the state of Ohio.” “Gerrymander” was initially “manipulate” until the board voted 3-2 to change it.

The Citizens Not Politicians lawsuit states: “The politicians are fighting back with an absolute fusillade of falsehoods. Before the court is what may be the most biased, inaccurate, deceptive and unconstitutional ballot language ever adopted by the Ohio Ballot Board. This court’s intervention is needed to ensure that Ohio voters are provided with the truthful and impartial ballot title and ballot language required by law so that they can exercise their right to make a free and informed decision for themselves whether to amend the Ohio Constitution.”

It adds: “So, let’s be blunt about what is happening here: politicians do not wish to give up power, they oppose the amendment and they’re using control of the ballot board to try to influence voters with ballot language so farcically biased and deceptive that it approaches comedy.”

Republicans insist the ballot language is accurate and the proposal is a Democratic “scam designed to get political power they can’t earn at the ballot box,” according to Garth Kent, an Ohio Senate Majority Caucus spokesman.

Kent said: “The Democrats’ big lie in Ohio is that Republicans hold such large majorities in elected offices because of gerrymandering. The state media has bought that hook, line and sinker. It’s not just false. It’s provably false. Democrats can’t even win a majority on their own turf. Democrats currently have an advantage in 15 Ohio Senate Districts. However, Republicans won eight of those districts. If you can’t even win most of the districts where you are favored then gerrymandering is not your problem. (Your) problem is obviously your policies, your candidates or both. “

Kent also pointed out that about 85% of the $23 million Citizens Not Politicians raised during the first half of this year came from out of state.

“This fraudulent campaign isn’t even backed by Ohioans,” he said. “It’s an attempted coup by Democrats back in the D.C. swamp.”

David Skolnick is a political writer for the Youngstown Vindicator and Warren Tribune-Chronicle, sister Ogden newspapers with the Columbiana Country newspapers. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.Contact David Skolnick by email at dskolnick@vindy.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.