Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported redistricting reform in 2015 and 2018. After the census in 2020, the Ohio Redistricting Commission and the state legislature will begin to draw new state legislative and congressional districts. At Common Cause Ohio we’re getting ready for mapmaking in 2021. In order to make sure we end up with the fairest and most transparent maps possible, we will be asking for your help!
First, we’re asking you to Take the End Gerrymandering Pledge, and to ask your Ohio legislator to take the pledge as well. Learn more about why it’s so important in Ohio to have our legislators pledge to support bipartisan mapmaking.
As we get closer to 2021, we will give you the tools to learn about mapmaking so that you can create your own redistricting maps. We will need citizen mapmakers to make sure those put forward by the legislature are the best–and fairest–possible.
During the redistricting process, we will also be setting up Transparency Teams to track what is happening and make sure it stays honest.
You may have also heard about the LWV and ACLU lawsuit, APRI v. Householder challenging the 2011 redistricting process and the gerrymandered congressional districts that were drawn. Unfortunately, with the US Supreme Court’s decision in Rucho v. Common Cause, Ohio’s gerrymandering case now will not result in new, better maps for 2020. You can find out more about the case from the Brennan Center for Justice.