Ohio’s Redistricting Reform Proposal Gains Momentum

Backers of a proposal to reform Ohio’s troubled political map-making system have received the green light to proceed with their efforts. The Ohio Ballot Board, in a unanimous decision, approved the constitutional amendment proposed by Citizens Not Politicians, stating that it constitutes a single subject. Now, the campaign committee has until July 3 of the following year to collect 413,487 valid signatures needed to place the amendment on the November 2024 ballot.

The proposed reform involves replacing the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which currently comprises three statewide officeholders and four state lawmakers, with an independent body chosen directly by citizens. This new panel would feature members diversified by party affiliation and geography. The existing structure has repeatedly failed to produce constitutional maps of congressional and state legislative districts. During the redistricting process following the 2020 Census, court challenges resulted in two congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps being rejected as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

While these disputes were ongoing, Ohio’s 2022 elections proceeded under the flawed maps. However, opponents have since dropped their litigation against the congressional map, allowing it to be in place for the 2024 elections. A new set of Ohio House and Ohio Senate districts received unanimous approval from the Ohio Redistricting Commission last month, but it remains in limbo due to an ongoing lawsuit over Statehouse districts.

This proposal for reform is seen as a significant step towards fairer and more equitable political representation in Ohio, addressing long-standing concerns about gerrymandering and the manipulation of electoral boundaries. The campaign committee now faces the task of gathering the required number of signatures to bring this amendment before voters in the upcoming election.

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