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DEAR EDITOR:
In the early 1990s, Ohio was allotted 21 U.S. congressional seats and with the decline in population, Ohio now has 15 seats. The current congressional district map has 10 Republican and five Democrat seats. Democrats are proposing an 8-7 map. In my opinion, Republicans are shooting for a 13-2 map in the final stage of the process.
Ohio's redistricting rules, established by constitutional amendments in 2015 and 2018, govern the redrawing of state legislative and U.S. congressional districts. The rules prioritize BIPARTISAN support and should closely reflect the statewide voting preferences of Ohioans over the last decade which is a ratio of 54% Republican and 46% Democrat. In November 2024, Donald Trump won Ohio with 55% to Harris's 44%. The current congressional redistricting process is happening again in 2025 because a temporary four-year map, adopted in 2022, is set to expire.
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of district boundaries so as to favor one party and an attempt to control which party's candidate gets elected. Gerrymandering has been evident for many decades but in 2011 Ohio Republican-led map-making produced highly gerrymandered districts that helped ensure a supermajority for 10 years. A supermajority is never BENEFICIAL since it places all of the power in the hands of one party and excludes the governor. A supermajority can override any governor veto. This is NOT a democracy!!
In the fall of 2024, a citizens-led initiative or proposed amendment, Issue 1, was presented for the November ballot. In the process, the Ohio Ballot Board summarizes the lengthy amendment to prepare ballot language. In my opinion, during the process, the Secretary of State "tweaked" the language with the intention of confusing the voter. Voters believed if they voted "Yes" they were indeed supporting the use of gerrymandering. Ohio voters rejected Issue 1, which would have created an independent citizens commission to handle redistricting and now further permits the use of gerrymandering by the party in control.
In my opinion, the GOP will again not follow the constitution and will produce an unconstitutional map that is grossly gerrymandered. This silences the voter, the Legislature chooses the voters, the voters do not choose the legislatures! As a voter, if you wish not to have your voice silenced, now is the time to speak up and contact your Ohio representatives and senators!!!!
DENNIS WINGARD
Canfield