With the November election around the corner, the League of Women Voters of Oxford (LWVO) is holding a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 28 to provide information about a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that will appear on the ballot.
If the amendment is passed by voters, a 15-member redistricting commission will be created composed of “citizens, not politicians” to draw the boundaries of electoral districts in the state, according to the LWV press release.
Elisabeth Warner, the communication coordinator for the LWV, wrote in a statement to The Miami Student that events like this continue the long tradition of offering voters the opportunity to learn more about what will be on their ballots every year.
“We know voters have a lot of questions about Issue 1, the proposed Citizens Not Politicians amendment,” Warner wrote, “so this is an important opportunity for them to learn more about why the amendment is needed, and what it would do if Ohio voters support it in the upcoming election.”
During the meeting, LWV Oxford Co-President for the organization Kathie Brinkman will also discuss the pending lawsuit that the Citizens Not Politicians campaign filed against the Ohio Ballot Board. The lawsuit said that the state's Supreme Court should require a rewrite of language on ballots, according to reporting by Newsweek.
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 determine for themselves whether to amend the Ohio Constitution,” Citizens Not Politicians said in their lawsuit, according to reporting by Newsweek.
Kathleen Knight Abowitz, the communication director for the LWV Oxford, said the group isn't permitted to talk about the Citizens Not Politicians initiative because of the divisive politics surrounding it, including the lawsuit over the wording on the ballot.
Only those authorized with the proper training at the state level are allowed, including Brinkman.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 in the Seminary Building at 104 E. Church St.