Equal Districts Coalition Calls on Ohio Redistricting Commission to Appoint a Nonpartisan Map-Drawer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2022

Contact:
Rachel Coyle, coyle@innovationohio.org

COLUMBUS — Today, the Equal Districts Coalition — a group of over 30 Ohio advocacy organizations and labor unions engaged in the redistricting process — called on the Republican-led Ohio Redistricting Commission to follow the urging of the Ohio Supreme Court and appoint a nonpartisan mapmaker to draw Ohio’s legislative districts.

“For the third time, the Ohio Supreme Court has made clear what we have known all along — Ohio Republican Commissioners have failed to meet the moment and deliver to Ohio the fair maps we deserve and that our constitution requires,” said Katy Shanahan, Ohio State Director, All On The Line. “It’s time for the Commissioners to do their jobs — adopt fair maps.”

A bipartisan majority of Ohio Supreme Court justices have now rejected Republican-drawn Statehouse maps three separate times. The maps are unconstitutionally gerrymandered (rigged) to help Republicans win more elections than they've earned in votes.

“In 2015, Ohioans voted for a transparent, inclusive, and fair process that would result in fair maps to guarantee every vote counts. Appointing a nonpartisan map drawer would help to ensure that our maps reflect the statewide voting preference of Ohioans while respecting the right to fair representation for voters from Black, brown, immigrant, and other minority communities,” said Jeniece Brock, Policy and Advocacy Director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and OCRC Vice-Chair.

In a ruling issued late Wednesday night, the bipartisan court majority strongly encouraged the commission to appoint a nonpartisan mapmaker and to have the maps be drawn in public. The Republican commissioners have previously drawn maps in secret behind closed doors and have not allowed the Democratic commissioners to participate in the process.

“The Republican-led Redistricting Commission has made clear they are incapable of drawing legal maps. They are too partisan. They are too intent on keeping their friends in office using unconstitutional measures,” said Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio. “It’s time for the Redistricting Commission to appoint a nonpartisan map-drawer to do the job the Republican commissioners have failed to do three times.”

The bipartisan court majority made clear in footnote 6 of their ruling that there are many ways to draw a constitutional map. “The dissenters already know that innumerable constitutionally compliant maps may be drawn by simple adjustments to an algorithm, something that political operatives, academics, and everyday citizens have shown may be easily generated.”

The Equal Districts Coalition also calls for the entire primary election to be moved to a later date. Ohio taxpayers should not be forced to pay tens of millions of dollars for two separate primaries.

####

The Equal Districts Coalition is the largest redistricting coalition in Ohio, with over 30 member organizations. It includes the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, OAPSE/AFSCME, Ohio Farmers Union, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, the Ohio Environmental Council, OFUPAC, Innovation Ohio, the Ohio Student Association, ProgressOhio, All On the Line-Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Ohio Council of Churches, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, URGE – Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, LEAD Ohio, the Ohio Women’s Alliance, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Education Association, CAIR-Ohio, Campus Vote Project, For Our Future Ohio, Ohio Unity Coalition, Equality Ohio, The Freedom Bloc, and more.