Redistricting

The Franklin County Board of Elections said Friday would be the hope for when the Ohio Supreme Court would rule on the ballot language lawsuit.

When it comes to redistricting everyone says they want fair maps. That’s the easy part. The hard part is setting a legal standard for drawing them. We’re untangling how to draw fair maps this episode. Guests include: Dave Wasserman, Senior Editor & Elections Analyst for The Cook Political Report; Samuel Wang, Princeton Gerrymandering Project Professor; Dan Vicuna, director of redistricting and representation for Common Cause.

When it comes to redistricting everyone says they want fair maps. That’s the easy part. The hard part is setting a legal standard for drawing them.

Supporters of the amendment to change the redistricting process have filed a lawsuit against the five members of the Ohio Ballot Board, though two of them didn’t vote for the language at the center of the suit.

Buckeye voters are being asked this November whether we want to change our process for drawing electoral boundaries. Mapmaking is a complicated process, and it could use a little untangling. Over the next five episodes, we'll untangle the history of redistricting, how to draw fair maps, how other states do redistricting, and let both sides of Issue 1 make their case.

Citizens Not Politicians, the group bringing the ballot issue, said the Republican-dominated Ohio Ballot Board "manipulated" language before approving it.

Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has proposed a three-page ballot language summary, which supporters of the amendment said is an effort to rig the election.

The group Citizens Not Politicians has submitted language it would like the Ohio Ballot Board to put before voters in November, but the panel doesn't have to approve it.

Citizens Not Politicians has brought in more than $23 million since January, but has also made a move to subvert a possible investigation into dark money donated to the group.

Gov. Mike DeWine says if Ohioans reject the amendment this fall, he will work with lawmakers to come up with a mapmaking process like Iowa's.