REPUBLICAN REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL IS SELF-SERVING AND ANTI-VOTER
Tom Zawistowski, Ohio Citizens PAC President, called the latest Redistricting Reform Proposal being discussed in the Ohio House “self-serving” and “anti-voter.” Zawistowski said “Claiming that they are acting out of fairness and in the public interest, this self-serving plan is really intended to allow the party in power to control it’s members, by punishing those who do not get in line, by redistricting them out of office.
As Republican Ron Hood said on the House Floor Thursday night, under this plan, it will not be a House of Representative chosen by the people, it will be a House that chooses which people get to vote for them. It is anti-voter, because it takes choice away from voters. If you vote for the wrong person, or heaven forbid someone who actually represents you instead of the party’s interest, then you will be put in a different district so you can’t vote for them again.”
Zawistowski went on to say, “We have already seen the anti-democratic results of redistricting done by the politicians protecting their own self interests and not our voting rights in this last election. We had NO competitve Congressional races, we had NO competitive Ohio Senate races, and we had perhaps four competitive Ohio House races out of 99. That is why people don’t vote, because the two political parties have already rigged the vote by redistricting and through other anti-democratic means. Our Republic is being destroyed by these type of activities and we the citizens can not allow it. It is clear that the citizens of Ohio are going to have to take action to defend their right to vote. Which means a ballot initiative and I think that is what we are going to have to do.”