Ohio Voters File Objection Against Gerrymandered State Legislative Maps

For Immediate Release
January 25, 2022

Contact
Brooke Lillard
Lillard@redistrictingaction.org

Washington, D.C. — In a submission today to the Ohio Supreme Court, voters supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund (NRAF) filed objections against the gerrymandered state legislative maps that were passed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, following a court-ordered redraw. During the redraw process, the NRAF-supported petitioners in the case of Bennett v. Ohio Redistricting Commission submitted constitutionally-compliant state legislative maps for the Commission’s consideration. Instead of drawing compliant maps, the Commission passed gerrymandered state legislative maps on a party-line vote with only Republican support. 

“It is both unsurprising and incredibly disappointing that the Republican-led Ohio Redistricting Commission stubbornly passed remedial legislative maps that fail to adhere to the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent decision and the reforms enshrined in the state constitution at the heart of that decision,” said Marina Jenkins, the NRAF’s Director of Litigation and Policy. “The court provided explicit guidelines for the Commission to follow in order to draw new maps that were both technically compliant and also reflected the will of the people. This wasn’t an impossible task – the Bennett petitioners submitted maps that met both of those requirements, as did others. Yet the Republican commissioners once again arrogantly led a secretive, partisan process that resulted in yet another set of maps artificially biased in their party’s favor. The Republican commissioners have proven themselves to be foxes charged with guarding the hen house – they simply don’t seem capable of taking seriously their obligation to uphold the promise of the 2015 constitutional reform. Now it is the court’s duty to step in again.” 

To read the full brief, click here.

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