Every 10 years, the state of Ohio undertakes the process of redrawing the district maps for state legislative districts, as well as the members of Ohio’s delegation to the United States House of Representatives. The process is always partisan because the stakes are high for determining which political party will have an advantage in the next decade’s elections.
In both 2015 and 2018, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved state constitutional amendments in an attempt to make the redistricting process less partisan and better suited to producing maps that reflect the voting preferences of the citizens of Ohio, rather than the preferences of a specific political party. As the redistricting process of 2021, and now 2022, has played out, it has become clear that the goal of drawing bipartisan maps is as elusive as ever.
OAMES government relations consultant The Fitzgibbon Group has provided a Redistricting Guide. This overview includes background information and will help explain the legal framework of redistricting process and how this particular redistricting effort has been so challenging.