Ohio Primaries to Take Place March 6, 2012

Governor Kasich Signs Primary Date and Redistricting Lines into Law

On December 15, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed into law the bill that reunites the state’s primaries to March 6 (rather than dates in March and June) and puts into place the new U.S. House district lines.

After months of debate over the original proposed redistricting plan and the potential financial costs of holding two separate primaries, state lawmakers passed revamped congressional district lines late Wednesday, December 14. The measure passed the House by a vote of 77-17 and the Senate by a vote of 27-6, with more than enough Democratic support for an emergency clause to ensure the changes take effect immediately.

While many Democrats are still not entirely satisfied with the map, they feel it is an improvement over the original map Republicans passed in September, and it will save taxpayers $15 million dollars that would have been spent on a second primary.

In this difficult time for state and local budgets, OABA commends Ohio’s lawmakers for finding common ground on this important issue.