redistricting
GOP officials and a collegiate political scandal could nix Dem’s ballot slot in SE Ohio
An Athens County Democrat filed a lawsuit last week asking the Ohio Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the Republican Secretary of State and allow her onto the ballot in a southeast Ohio House district. The story of the ballot fight includes a scandal in Ohio University’s Student Senate, a primary election delayed by […]
Ohio chief justice: ‘We do not have a Constitution that will end gerrymandering’
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said she plans to become a part of the anti-gerrymandering effort once she leaves office at the end of the year. In committing to her next steps after the her term-limited time as the head of the state’s highest court, she also acknowledged the failures that happened in […]
Analysis: Only 1 in 4 Statehouse races will be competitive under new redistricting plan
On the first run of Ohio’s new legislative redistricting system, as few as one in four races are likely to produce competitive general elections, a new analysis shows. All 99 seats in the Ohio House and 17 of 33 Senate seats are up this year. Of those 116 races, just 30 will take place […]
Discussions underway to propose new redistricting reform to Ohio voters
As Ohio enters its second year of redistricting, still without a constitutional map under its belt, a movement to reform the process is also reappearing. One might ask: Didn’t we already reform the process? Isn’t that how the Ohio Redistricting Commission came to be? “This process could have worked,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of […]
Redistricting: One year later, Ohio a unique, flawed case
One year after the saga of redistricting began, Ohio is seen as a unique case study in the legal strategies and flaws that can emerge in the process. Ohio’s journey to develop maps for the legislative and congressional voting districts began with the convening of the Ohio Redistricting Commission by Gov. Mike DeWine, himself a […]
Public awaits more redistricting work, but new law gives court little leeway to force it
The Ohio Redistricting Commission still hasn’t made any moves to redraw congressional maps based on the Ohio Supreme Court’s order, but how much the state’s highest court can punish the commission isn’t clear at this point. When the court rejected the most recent set of congressional districts, they gave the General Assembly 30 days to […]
Northeast Ohio voters worry about last-minute changes to ballots
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Northeast Ohio boards of elections are experiencing numerous last-minute ballot changes, […]
The gerrymandering of public education
Ohioans believe that democracy should allow everyone to have a say in the future of our local communities and our state. We all want to elect leaders who represent our values, no matter our race, background, or zip code. But over the course of the past year, Ohioans have watched as certain elected leaders have […]
Ohio House Speaker calls redistricting deadline a ‘myth’
The Ohio House Speaker wrote a letter to members of his party claiming “intentional misinformation” and the “myth” of a deadline for congressional redistricting, and signaling an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Ohio Supreme Court turned down the most recent drafts of congressional district lines in the state, saying the partisan breakdown unduly […]
Another redistricting deadline coming up, no action expected from Ohio legislature
As the deadline approaches for the Ohio General Assembly to redraw congressional district maps ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court, it seems no action is planned. The state’s highest court struck down the map for congressional voting districts in the state on July 19, giving the GA 30 days to draw a map that wasn’t […]
Ohio Supreme Court power could change under ‘independent state legislature’ theory
An obscure legal theory is in the sights of the U.S. Supreme Court, and that theory may create shockwaves, changing the power of the Ohio Supreme Court and the state legislature. The independent state legislature doctrine is an old theory with its genesis in the U.S. Constitution, specifically the clauses that give the state legislatures […]
Ohio governor, education groups at odds over board of ed district deadlines
As an August deadline looms for Ohio’s State Board of Education candidates, there’s a difference of opinion as to whether the governor has an obligation to change the districts to reflect the most current redistricting plan. The difference of opinion, the governor’s office and a coalition of education advocates say, is whether redistricting and apportionment […]