Yesterday, Public Policy Polling released a new Ohio poll, concluding, "Last month we found voters in the state supported an independent redistricting commission by a 37/24 margin. But with the official ballot language, which frames the commission as 'removing the authority of elected representatives' and giving it to appointed officials, only 33% of voters now say they support the amendment to 38% who are opposed."
Dan Tokaji of Voters First issued the following statement:
"This new polling data illustrates just how badly Jon Husted's Ballot Board distorted the truth to serve their own partisan political ends. When presented with a full and fair explanation of Issue 2, Ohioans overwhelmingly support this common sense reform. But when presented with the misleading anti-reform spin that leaves out key facts, that support erodes.
"We expect these kinds of cynical tactics from our opponents, but the Ohio Ballot Board has a responsibility to tell voters the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In this instance, Secretary Husted and his colleagues have put their own partisan self-interest ahead of their legal obligation the Ohio voters."
"The only goal of Voters First is to ensure that Ohio voters have fair and impartial information about Issue 2. We know that when elections are fair, the people win."
Voters First has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to do one of three things:
- Adopt the language submitted by Voters First but rejected by the Ballot Board,
- Order the Ballot Board to re-convene and draft fair and accurate language, or
- Write fair and accurate ballot language.
Voters First is a coalition of non-partisan, pro-reform groups who demand better government, and seeks to end to the kind of extremism that strips people of the right to vote.
