<x-flowed>Greetings,

A Columbus Dispatch poll has the Ohio ballot measure on redistricting at only 26% yes, with 38% no and 36% undecided. This isn't good news for those seeking nonpartisan redistricting as the means to address non-competitive elections in the US, particularly when combined with the polls coming out of California right now. Perhaps advocates can turn this around, but it sure looks like a very uphill battle.

Nonpartisan elections also is in some trouble, ahead 42%-37%. Relaxed absentee and campaign contribution limits are at abotu 70% yes

As a separate matter, MSNBC has a nifty new interactive feature on its website allowing visitors to test out different voting methods and hear comments on them from me and Washington and Lee Professor Mark Rush. See:
http://msnbc.com/modules/mockracy/

- Rob Richie

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http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/10/01/20051001-A1-02.htm


EXCERPT

Much of the battle so far has centered on Issue 4, which would take the power to redraw legislative and congressional lines from a state board and the legislature and hand it to an independent commission. It would not affect school districts.

In the poll, Issue 4 is the only one losing: 38-26, although 36 percent were undecided. The measure also produced a partisan divide: Democrats favored it by 16 points, Republicans opposed it by 21.



FULL STORY


DISPATCH POLL
Statewide election proposals fare well
Saturday, October 01, 2005, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
By Darrel Rowland

One poll respondent wanted to know if the state issue revamping how congressional and legislative districts are drawn would affect her schooldistrict boundaries.

Another opposes a separate proposal to lower contribution limits to state campaigns because politicians "make enough money."

The first Dispatch Poll of the 2005 campaign shows substantial support for three of the five proposed constitutional amendments on OhioÕs Nov. 8 ballot. Another has a narrow lead, while one is losing.

However, interviews with poll participants show that many are more than a little fuzzy on the details of the far-reaching, complicated proposals.

Perhaps surprisingly, at least 78 percent of the poll participants say they already have made up their mind on four of the five issues.

Still, one Cincinnati respondent wrote on her mail poll that it was difficult to complete the survey because she hadnÕt seen any publicity on the proposals.

That will change soon.

Both sides are gearing up for an expensive battle over the 5Ï weeks leading up to the election, because both acknowledge the issues would change the face of Ohio elections.

"ItÕs going to revolutionize politics in Ohio," said Henry W. Eckhart, a board member of Common Cause-Ohio, which is backing Issues 2-5. That quartet was placed on the ballot by Reform Ohio Now, a group of unions and mostly Democraticleaning groups.

Those four issues are opposed adamantly by Ohio First, a group backed by Republicans who have controlled state government for more than a decade. Rep. Kevin DeWine, a Fairborn Republican, said this week that if Issue 4 passes, it will mean "unilaterally disarming the state of Ohio and relegating it to a second-class position when it comes to influence and power in Congress."

Much of the battle so far has centered on Issue 4, which would take the power to redraw legislative and congressional lines from a state board and the legislature and hand it to an independent commission. It would not affect school districts.

In the poll, Issue 4 is the only one losing: 38-26, although 36 percent were undecided. The measure also produced a partisan divide: Democrats favored it by 16 points, Republicans opposed it by 21.

Respondent Matthew Wheeler, 18, a Sinclair Community College student from Beavercreek, near Dayton, doesnÕt like the proposal because judges would pick some of the members of the commission.

"Judges should be interpreting law, not making it," said Wheeler, a Republican. "Overall, IÕm against giving more authority to judges."

But Tracy Bodnar, 32, a Democrat and stay-at-home mom from Cincinnati, said she supports the redistricting changes because "people would have more of a say in who gets in and who doesnÕt get in."

The sharpest division between Democrats and Republicans came on Issue 5, which would create a ninemember board to oversee elections instead of the secretary of state.

Democrats backed getting rid of a partisan officeholder administering elections by 30 points; GOP poll-takers turned thumbs down by 23 points.

Todd Kerr, 31, a Columbus mortgage loan officer, said Issue 5 is unnecessary because an elected secretary of state would not be able to sway an election and get away with it.

"I donÕt buy the conspiracy theories," the Republican said.

Steve Knowland, 39, a social worker from Gahanna, backs the revamp because even if a partisan secretary of state is not shown to have done anything to influence an election, removing such questions is a good idea.

"An independent body to oversee procedures can ensure that partisan politics do not come into play," the Democrat said.

The most-popular amendment was Issue 3, passing with a 55-point margin. The proposal would reduce the maximum campaign contributions for state candidates, parties and political-action committees. It would not affect how much elected officials are paid.

Cathy LeVan, 52, of Rushsylvania in Logan County, said sheÕs inclined to support Issue 3 because she thinks having so much money in elections discourages good candidates from seeking office.

"You might find more people running for office if they donÕt have to compete for all those dollars," said LeVan, who runs a tax-preparation and small-business accounting company.

Issue 2, which would allow "no-excuse" absentee voting, is passing by a 43-point margin.

Issue 1, which includes Gov. Bob TaftÕs Third Frontier, is winning by a 2Ï-to-1 margin.

Ironically, Democrats in the poll are supporting the initiative more than are Republicans.

The mail poll of 1,325 registered Ohio voters was conducted Sept. 22 through Thursday. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Dispatch reporters Catherine Candisky, Alan Johnson, Mark Niquette and Jim Siegel contributed to this story.

*drowland@dispatch.com
*

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*http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051003/NEWS01/510030362

Poll: Ballot wording confusing
Associated Press

ISSUE 1

Issue 1, placed on the ballot by the Ohio General Assembly, would use the state's public works bond program to leverage passage of $500 million worth of bonding authority to help universities and private interests conduct research plus another $150 million to prepare industrial sites for construction.

Four issues, stemming from petitions and relating to elections and campaign finance, will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Issue 2 would allow all registered voters to vote by mail or in person up to 35 days before an election.

Issue 3 would cut individual campaign contribution limits from $10,000 to $2,000 for statewide candidates and $1,000 for legislative candidates.

Issue 4 would put an independent commission in charge of drawing legislative districts instead of elected officials.

Issue 5 would put a bi-partisan board of supervisors in charge of statewide elections instead of the secretary of state, who is an elected official.

COLUMBUS - Some Ohioans are confused by the wordy language in the five measures on the November ballot, a new statewide poll indicates.

Some are unclear about what their votes on the issues mean exactly and are uncertain about the details of each proposal, according to interviews with the respondents to a poll commissioned by the Columbus Dispatch.

All five ballot issues involve proposed constitutional amendments and four started as initiative petitions that could drastically change how elections are conducted.

Each issue runs an average of 562 words - five times longer than the gay-marriage ban proposal that was the only statewide question on last November's ballot.

The issues include a $2 billion bond package for road projects and high-tech jobs; granting all electors the option of voting absentee; lowering limits on state campaign contributions; creating a commission to approve legislative districts; and establishing a board to replace the secretary of state in administering elections.

The poll, conducted by mail Sept. 22-29, asked 1,325 registered voters about the proposals. One respondent worried whether the proposal on legislative redistricting would affect her school-district boundaries. Another opposed the item lowering contribution limits because "politicians make enough money."

More than one-third of respondents said they were undecided on the redistricting issue, and 20 percent were undecided on the creation of the elections panel.

Four of the items - all but the tech and road construction bond package - are backed by a Democratic and union-led coalition called Reform Ohio Now. Those measures are opposed by a Republican-leaning group called Ohio First.

Both sides said they expect to step up publicity in the weeks ahead.

Poll results showed support ranging between 56 percent and 70 percent for the bond package, the vote-by-mail measure and the proposal to lower campaign spending limits.