It’s time to pull the rug out from underneath Ohio’s corrupt politicians and practices.

To put it in more meaningful terms, today is the perfect day to vote in favor of Issues 2, 3, 4 and 5, otherwise known as the Reform Ohio Now amendments.

These issues don’t just happen to be on the ballot today. The time is much more than just ripe for these amendments to be made; it’s rotting.

And while Democrats and Republicans can’t agree upon much of anything, many have come together both to praise these amendments and to push their passage.

With the results – and wait lines – of the November 2004 election lingering in voters’ minds, the first of these amendments, Issue 2, should get a warm reception.

Issue 2 proposes that Ohioans be able to send in ballots by mail.

While people already have the option of mail-in ballots, they are currently expected to present a legitimate reason for why they cannot vote on election day.

So while military service or a trip abroad could qualify as “reason” enough to skip out on election day, there is no guarantee that “I have work,” or “I have class,” will grant you the privilege of mailing in your ballot.

But what can’t be denied is that all different people have all different schedules.

Some allow for standing in line during that fleeting 12-hour window of enfranchised opportunity; some do not.

But it doesn’t matter, because Issue 2 allows everyone’s vote to be counted. You could vote up to 35 days in advance.

I can’t think of one downside to this amendment. Everybody wins. The stress of fitting voting into your day is lifted and meanwhile, turn-out increases.

Because voting shouldn’t be discouraging or frustrating. It shouldn’t be hard.

Anything that helps to pump out the highest number of participants in an election – that gets the largest number of people’s opinions accounted for on actual ballots – should be done.

The only people who oppose Issue 2 are those who want to continue in the trend of low voter turn-outs because they like the results. These are the people who are comfortable with the way things are – i.e. incumbent politicians.

It goes without saying that this is selfish and shows complete disrespect for what democracy is all about.

The same politicians who despise Issue 2 probably don’t want you to vote for Issue 3 either, because that elite group of people who never miss a vote are also the ones who contribute the most money to campaigns.

But Issue 3 puts a limit on excessive donations. Right now, an individual can donate up to $10,000 to a campaign.

This gives the few people who have the means to donate outrageous sums of cash a disproportionate say in who gets elected.

I don’t have $10,000 to give to my favorite politician, but I don’t think someone who does should have more political influence than I do.

Issue 3 limits the amount any individual can give to a campaign to $2,000 for a state-wide candidate and $1,000 for legislative candidates.

If this amendment passes, the special interests that have such a firm grip on our government would weaken, putting power back into the hands of all voters – not just a select wealthy few.

The ability to silence the masses would sink into further jeopardy with the passing of Issue 4.

This amendment creates a 5-member independent board, entrusted with wiping current districting lines clean and starting over with a fresh slate. The new districts would be drawn up by that board in time for the 2008 election and re-evaluated every ten years.

The process for selecting those board members is complicated, but ensures no corruption.

The state appeals court judge who has the longest amount of service chooses the first member of that board; the second is selected by the next longest-serving judge affiliated with a different party from the first judge.

Then, those two appointed members choose the remaining three, one of whom must be independent of any party ties altogether.

Issue 4 dismantles the power incumbent politicians have to gerrymander to re-elect both themselves and their own kind again and again. They could no longer draw illogical districts, splitting cities and towns with the goal of crowding many voters from one party into a district.

Instead, an independent board would dispassionately redraw those lines and would have no collective motivation to accomplish this.

Issue 5 also calls for the formation of a bipartisan board – but this one would ensure a fair and accurate election process.

This is a necessary step to take as confidence in Ken Blackwell’s handling of last year’s election in Ohio waned as he simultaneously contributed his efforts to the George W. Bush campaign.

Ohio was a state which not only helped make the final call for Bush in ’04, but also in which every ballot ought to have been painstakingly counted.

Voters cannot afford to let so much responsiblity rest in such partisan hands.

Issue 5 proposes a the installation of a 9-member body similar to a county Board of Elections to oversee election day duties for the whole state of Ohio.

This board would include 4 members appointed by the governor, 4 members appointed by the general assembly of the second-largest governing party that does not include the governor and 1 member chosen unanimously by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Like the one detailed Issue 4, this board would also not boast the collective motivation to favor any particular candidates, as they would be a true “mixed bag” of party affiliations.

It’s true that all 4 of these amendments may seem difficult to comprehend, which may deter the average voter from learning enough to making the right choices.

But with a little patience and knowledge, the urgency with which Issues 2, 3, 4 and 5 must be passed becomes clear.

So despite how involved the amendments may seem, trust with research that they are necessary for the survival – or, perhaps, the revival – of democracy in Ohio.

They are worth taking the time to understand – and what’s more, worth taking the time to vote for today.

‘#160;

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