The Ohio Forward Party recently announced the start of its petition drive to secure ballot access for the 2026 election cycle. This decision comes as a response to the defeat of Issue 1, a measure that would have established a new redistricting commission.
In a press release last week, the party stated that it would begin collecting signatures “immediately,” with the goal of building a viable statewide movement within the next two years. The decision comes in response to the rejection of Issue 1, a proposed amendment on the ballot that would have established a Citizens Redistricting Commission to replace the current system. Following this defeat, the party stated that the creation of a new viable party is “the only serious path to breaking the stranglehold of corruption, unaccountability, and single party rule in Ohio.”
“Issue 1 would have been a critical step toward reform, but it was turned into another partisan battleground. The current two-party system is incapable of delivering the change Ohioans desperately need. The time has come for a new path forward – one where the voices of everyday people, not special interests, lead the way,” stated Ohio Forward Party Chair Tim Grady in the release.
If successful, Issue 1 would have replaced the current seven-member bipartisan Ohio Redistricting Commission with a Citizens Redistricting Commission. Unlike the existing commission, which excludes third parties and independents, the proposed commission would have included five Democrats, five Republicans, and five individuals who were either independents or members of other political parties.
Notably, in addition to the Ohio Forward Party, Issue 1 had garnered support from state Libertarians, some local Greens, and the Ohio Democratic Party. It was opposed by the Ohio Republican Party.
While the exact number of signatures required of the Ohio Forward Party will not be known until the final certified results of last week’s election are determined, the party currently estimates it will need around 57,000 signatures by the 2026 deadline to secure ballot access.
How ironic, given that Issue 1 would have created a “stranglehold of corruption, unaccountability, and single party rule” far worse than the broken system it was attempting to “reform”: https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2024/10/ohio-libertarians-join-coalition-in-support-of-redistricting-amendment/#comments
The only thing that “Issue 1 would have been a critical step toward” is out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Good on Ohioans for rejecting this bit of LINO-endorsed totalitarian statism. And worst of luck to the “Forward” Party and their ballot access drive.