Voters First Ohio seeks an end to gerrymandering
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Voters First Ohio has introduced a statewide ballot initiative that would establish the Ohio Independent Redistricting Commission, beginning with the 2014 election.
Voters First Ohio (votersfirstohio.org) is a coalition led by the League of Women Voters of Ohio, with partners Common Cause/Ohio, ProgressOhio and other "dedicated Ohioans," according to its website.
The Voters First Ohio proposal would create a 12-member citizen commission to draw congressional and legislative lines every 10 years.
According to Voters First Ohio, the commission would establish district boundaries to promote fairness, competitiveness, compactness, and preservation of existing communities.
"A politically independent citizens commission would draw both state legislative and congressional districts," Voters First Ohio said. "Under present law, state legislative districts are drawn by a partisan board, and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature. This has led to unfair plans being drawn behind closed doors, to the disadvantage of the people of Ohio. The proposed initiative would take redistricting out of the hands of incumbent politicians, and would place it in the hands of an impartial citizens commission.
"The Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission — composed of equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents, and reflecting the diversity of Ohio — would be required to draw fair districts, which do not favor or disfavor a particular party, incumbent or candidate. District boundaries would be drawn to promote fairness, competitiveness, compactness, and preservation of existing communities. Paid lobbyists, incumbents, and others with a personal or financial interest is elections would be barred from serving on the citizens commission."
“Politicians use redistricting to serve their own interests at the expense of the voters. If we want to fix our broken democracy, we need to change the way districts are drawn,” said Dan Tokaji, professor of law at The Ohio State University.
Last December, after months of political wrangling, Ohio lawmakers agreed to a revised congressional map that place Highland County in the Second Congressional District. Previously, the Ohio Senate had voted, 24-7, to approve a bill that would have isolated Highland County in the 15th Congressional district, a suburban Columbus district.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman and a member of Ohioans for Fair Districts Chris Redfern said in December: “Two months ago, we set out to give Ohioans a voice in the redistricting process, because Republicans did not give them that voice. Democrats could have sat idly by and accepted the Republicans’ unfair, gerrymandered map. But just as we have done all year, we fought back against their overreaching agenda.
“Ohioans deserve to know that their votes matter. They deserve fair and competitive elections, the ability to hold politicians of all parties accountable and the chance to elect good leaders who will serve the public interest by working together to create jobs. The events of the last six months make clearer than ever that Democrats and Republicans need to come together to support a constitutional amendment to change the way we redraw congressional and state legislative districts. Voters deserve a redistricting process that is fair and open, and they deserve districts that are competitive, that hold together like communities and that protect minority representation."
Highlights of the Voters First Ohio plan include:
● Citizens, Not Politicians. Instead of the current procedures (in which politicians drawdistrict boundaries that unfairly favor their own party and/or protect incumbents), a 12-member Citizens Commission will create the districts. Any member of the public can submit a plan for consideration.
● Openness and Transparency. All meetings, records, communications and draft plans of the Commission must be open to the public. No more backroom deals.
● Balance and Impartiality. The Citizens Commission will include equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents, and the approval of at least seven of the 12 members of the commission will be required for the adoption of any plan. This will ensure that the final plan fairly represents all Ohioans, not just those currently in power.
● Community Representation. Districts will be created that are geographically compact, and which minimize the division of counties, townships, municipalities and wards between different districts.
● Accountability. Politically balanced districts will be created, rather than “safe districts” which make it difficult or impossible for voters to hold elected officials accountable.
● Fairness. To the greatest extent possible, the share of districts leaning toward a party will reflect the political preferences of the voters of Ohio.
Specific Procedures and Criteria
The first nine members of the 12-person Commission will be chosen by lot from pools of independent, Democratic and Republican citizens who will have been screened by a panel of eight appellate court judges to assure that the Commission includes individuals with the skills, abilities and capacity for impartiality that will allow the Commission to fulfill its responsibilities. These 9 members (3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 3 independents) will then select the remaining three (1 Democrat, 1 Republican and 1 independent) in such a manner as to ensure that the Commission’s composition reflects the diversity of Ohio. All meetings, records, communications and draft plans of the Commission shall be open to the public. The affirmative vote of at least 7 members of the Commission shall be required to adopt any plan.
Redistricting plans and maps may be proposed by any member of the public or by the Commission itself. To be considered, a plan must comply with all applicable Ohio and federal constitutional and statutory provisions, including, but not limited to, those dealing specifically with the protection of minority voting rights. No plan shall be adopted with intent to favor or disfavor a political party, incumbent or potential candidate. The Commission shall adopt the redistricting plan that, in its judgment, most closely meets the following four criteria:
(1) Community Preservation: Minimizes the number of governmental units (counties, contiguous townships, municipalities and city wards) that are divided between different districts;
(2) Politically Balanced Districts: Maximizes the number of politically balanced districts (i.e., that do not favor one party by more than five percent, based upon political party indices calculated on the basis of recent representative statewide elections);
(3) Representational fairness: Balances the number of districts leaning toward each party so that the number of districts favoring each party closely corresponds to the preferences of the voters of Ohio, as determined using actual election results from recent representative statewide elections;
(4) Compactness: Creates districts that are compact.
If the Supreme Court of Ohio or a federal court determines the plan to be invalid, the Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission shall establish new boundaries. If it becomes necessary for any court to establish any district boundaries, it shall select from among the plans submitted to or considered by the Commission, and it shall adopt the plan that most closely meets the four criteria listed above.
Eligibility
Any Ohio elector is eligible to serve on the Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, except for those who have failed to vote in at least two of the past three general elections or, in the past ten years, have served as a federal or state elected official; have been a paid employee of the legislature, Congress or of a state or federal elected official; have served as director of a state department or agency; or have been a paid lobbyist. Also ineligible are those who in the past five years have run for state or federal elective office; have been an employee or paid consultant for a political campaign; have been an official or paid employee of any political party; or contributed more than $5,000 to political campaigns or political parties during the past two years.
Get involved
Volunteers are needed to get the word out about the signature-gathering effort and we need help collecting signatures. Please send an email to votersfirst@gmail.com or call the League of Women Voters of Ohio at 614-469-1505, if you would like to volunteer.[[In-content Ad]]
Voters First Ohio (votersfirstohio.org) is a coalition led by the League of Women Voters of Ohio, with partners Common Cause/Ohio, ProgressOhio and other "dedicated Ohioans," according to its website.
The Voters First Ohio proposal would create a 12-member citizen commission to draw congressional and legislative lines every 10 years.
According to Voters First Ohio, the commission would establish district boundaries to promote fairness, competitiveness, compactness, and preservation of existing communities.
"A politically independent citizens commission would draw both state legislative and congressional districts," Voters First Ohio said. "Under present law, state legislative districts are drawn by a partisan board, and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature. This has led to unfair plans being drawn behind closed doors, to the disadvantage of the people of Ohio. The proposed initiative would take redistricting out of the hands of incumbent politicians, and would place it in the hands of an impartial citizens commission.
"The Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission — composed of equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents, and reflecting the diversity of Ohio — would be required to draw fair districts, which do not favor or disfavor a particular party, incumbent or candidate. District boundaries would be drawn to promote fairness, competitiveness, compactness, and preservation of existing communities. Paid lobbyists, incumbents, and others with a personal or financial interest is elections would be barred from serving on the citizens commission."
“Politicians use redistricting to serve their own interests at the expense of the voters. If we want to fix our broken democracy, we need to change the way districts are drawn,” said Dan Tokaji, professor of law at The Ohio State University.
Last December, after months of political wrangling, Ohio lawmakers agreed to a revised congressional map that place Highland County in the Second Congressional District. Previously, the Ohio Senate had voted, 24-7, to approve a bill that would have isolated Highland County in the 15th Congressional district, a suburban Columbus district.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman and a member of Ohioans for Fair Districts Chris Redfern said in December: “Two months ago, we set out to give Ohioans a voice in the redistricting process, because Republicans did not give them that voice. Democrats could have sat idly by and accepted the Republicans’ unfair, gerrymandered map. But just as we have done all year, we fought back against their overreaching agenda.
“Ohioans deserve to know that their votes matter. They deserve fair and competitive elections, the ability to hold politicians of all parties accountable and the chance to elect good leaders who will serve the public interest by working together to create jobs. The events of the last six months make clearer than ever that Democrats and Republicans need to come together to support a constitutional amendment to change the way we redraw congressional and state legislative districts. Voters deserve a redistricting process that is fair and open, and they deserve districts that are competitive, that hold together like communities and that protect minority representation."
Highlights of the Voters First Ohio plan include:
● Citizens, Not Politicians. Instead of the current procedures (in which politicians drawdistrict boundaries that unfairly favor their own party and/or protect incumbents), a 12-member Citizens Commission will create the districts. Any member of the public can submit a plan for consideration.
● Openness and Transparency. All meetings, records, communications and draft plans of the Commission must be open to the public. No more backroom deals.
● Balance and Impartiality. The Citizens Commission will include equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents, and the approval of at least seven of the 12 members of the commission will be required for the adoption of any plan. This will ensure that the final plan fairly represents all Ohioans, not just those currently in power.
● Community Representation. Districts will be created that are geographically compact, and which minimize the division of counties, townships, municipalities and wards between different districts.
● Accountability. Politically balanced districts will be created, rather than “safe districts” which make it difficult or impossible for voters to hold elected officials accountable.
● Fairness. To the greatest extent possible, the share of districts leaning toward a party will reflect the political preferences of the voters of Ohio.
Specific Procedures and Criteria
The first nine members of the 12-person Commission will be chosen by lot from pools of independent, Democratic and Republican citizens who will have been screened by a panel of eight appellate court judges to assure that the Commission includes individuals with the skills, abilities and capacity for impartiality that will allow the Commission to fulfill its responsibilities. These 9 members (3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 3 independents) will then select the remaining three (1 Democrat, 1 Republican and 1 independent) in such a manner as to ensure that the Commission’s composition reflects the diversity of Ohio. All meetings, records, communications and draft plans of the Commission shall be open to the public. The affirmative vote of at least 7 members of the Commission shall be required to adopt any plan.
Redistricting plans and maps may be proposed by any member of the public or by the Commission itself. To be considered, a plan must comply with all applicable Ohio and federal constitutional and statutory provisions, including, but not limited to, those dealing specifically with the protection of minority voting rights. No plan shall be adopted with intent to favor or disfavor a political party, incumbent or potential candidate. The Commission shall adopt the redistricting plan that, in its judgment, most closely meets the following four criteria:
(1) Community Preservation: Minimizes the number of governmental units (counties, contiguous townships, municipalities and city wards) that are divided between different districts;
(2) Politically Balanced Districts: Maximizes the number of politically balanced districts (i.e., that do not favor one party by more than five percent, based upon political party indices calculated on the basis of recent representative statewide elections);
(3) Representational fairness: Balances the number of districts leaning toward each party so that the number of districts favoring each party closely corresponds to the preferences of the voters of Ohio, as determined using actual election results from recent representative statewide elections;
(4) Compactness: Creates districts that are compact.
If the Supreme Court of Ohio or a federal court determines the plan to be invalid, the Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission shall establish new boundaries. If it becomes necessary for any court to establish any district boundaries, it shall select from among the plans submitted to or considered by the Commission, and it shall adopt the plan that most closely meets the four criteria listed above.
Eligibility
Any Ohio elector is eligible to serve on the Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, except for those who have failed to vote in at least two of the past three general elections or, in the past ten years, have served as a federal or state elected official; have been a paid employee of the legislature, Congress or of a state or federal elected official; have served as director of a state department or agency; or have been a paid lobbyist. Also ineligible are those who in the past five years have run for state or federal elective office; have been an employee or paid consultant for a political campaign; have been an official or paid employee of any political party; or contributed more than $5,000 to political campaigns or political parties during the past two years.
Get involved
Volunteers are needed to get the word out about the signature-gathering effort and we need help collecting signatures. Please send an email to votersfirst@gmail.com or call the League of Women Voters of Ohio at 614-469-1505, if you would like to volunteer.[[In-content Ad]]