Ohioans voted overwhelmingly in 2015 and 2018 to change how state politicians draw our legislative and congressional district lines every decade.
Website: U.S. Census Bureau
Website: Fair Districts Ohio
Website: Common Cause Ohio
Website: Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC)
Website: The Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC)
What is redistricting?
Every ten years, the U.S. Census is conducted to determine the number of representatives in the Ohio legislature and the number of Congressional Districts in each state. Thus, redistricting will determine political representation for the next ten years. During this process, the lines and boundaries of governing bodies are redrawn so that each district is roughly equal in population size based on the most recent census data.
Why is redistricting so important
to my community?
Redistricting is carried out at all levels of government—from local school boards and city councils to state legislatures and the United States House of Representatives. All communities – every resident and legislator are stakeholders – need to ensure their voices are heard, their needs are addressed and their rights are protected.
Who are the members of the
Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC)?
The Commission was created by an amendment to the Ohio Constitution, which was approved by 71% of Ohio voters in November 2015.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission is comprised of seven members:
- One individual appointed by the Senate President
- Senate President Matt Huffman (R)
- One individual appointed by the Speaker of the House
- Speaker of the House Robert Cupp (R) – Co-Chair
- One individual appointed by the Senate Minority Leader
- Appointee: Senator Vernon Sykes(D) – Co-Chair
- One individual appointed by the House Minority Leader
- Appointee: House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D)
- The Governor
- Governor Mike DeWine (R)
- The Auditor
- Auditor of State Keith Faber (R)
- The Secretary of State
- Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R)
Who are the members of the
Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC)?
The Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC) is an independent, non-partisan commission made up of 15 volunteer members. Commission members will include academics, political party officials, community representatives, and others from across the state. The Commission’s activities include: hosting public hearings for community input, collecting publicly available data for mapmaking, and supporting public education on redistricting. The work of the commission will be culminated into a report including recommendations and a unity map(s), which will be submitted as public testimony in the official redistricting process.
The Commission is co-sponsored by the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), Ohio Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) of Ohio. The Commission will partner with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University and MGGG Redistricting Lab at Tufts University for data collection, analysis and community mapping.
- Alan Bannister, Ohio political professional, former Ohio statewide political director for Joe Biden
- Amina Barhumi, Outreach Director at CAIR Ohio
- Jeremy Blake, Newark City Council member, Equality Ohio board member
- Jeniece Brock, (OCRC Vice Chair) – Health Scientist, Policy & Advocacy Director for the Ohio Organizing
- Dr. Ellen Greene Bush, Community Member
- Akii Butler, Student Organizer at Ohio Student Association
- Kathleen Clyde, (OCRC Co-Chair) – Former State Rep, Former Candidate for Sec. State
- Sam Gresham, Chair of Common Cause Ohio
- Dr. Richard Gunther, Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University
- Gregory Moore, (OCRC Co-Chair) – President & CEO of Promise for Democracy
- Dr. Lis Regula, Lecturer, University of Dayton
- Katy Shanahan, All On The Line Ohio State Director
- Barbara A. Sykes, President & CEO of Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
- Chris Tavenor, Staff Attorney, OEC Law Center
- André Washington, President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Ohio Chapter
Commission members are selected through an application or referral process. There is no requirement for existing familiarity with redistricting. We desire a wide range of background knowledge on the topic.
Meetings – Public and Webinars
Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) public meetings schedule.
Note: Meetings can be viewed in real time here.
August 23, 2021 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH 44115
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, visit here.
August 23, 2021 | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH 44555
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 24, 2021 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH 45402
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 24, 2021 | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45206
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 25, 2021 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Ohio University – Zanesville
Zanesville, OH 43701
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 25, 2021 | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Rio Grande Community College
Rio Grande, OH 45674
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 26, 2021 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Ohio State University – Lima
Lima, OH 45804
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 26, 2021 | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Toledo Lucas County Public Library – Main Branch
Toledo, OH 43604
To view hearing on ohiochannel.org, view here.
August 27, 2021 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
University of Akron
1200 Mill Street
Quaker Station, Ballroom
Akron, OH 44308
Map: View Map View PDF Map
Parking: View Parking Information View PDF Parking Map
Health & Safety Protocols/Policy: https://www.uakron.edu/return-to-campus/face-coverings
Documents: Agenda
August 27, 2021 | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Ohio State University – Mansfield
1760 University Drive
Riedl Hall, Room 151
Mansfield, OH 44906
Map: View Map
Details: Free parking is available at Lots 3, 4, and 5 on the map.
Health & Safety Protocols/Policy: https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/personal-protection-hygiene
Documents: Agenda
Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (OCRC) – Webinar Hearings
To register for webinar hearings, please visit here.
To view videos of past hearings, please visit here.
First webinar hearing: Thursday, August 26, 2021 | 5:30pm
Second webinar hearing: Friday, August 27, 2021 | 5:30pm
Timeline for Redistricting Ohio
Ohio can’t draw new congressional map until 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal courts shouldn’t play a role in fixing partisan gerrymandering. Gerrymandering will now be in the hands of Ohio’s legislators through 2021. If an agreement cannot be reached, then the Ohio Redistricting Commission will play a role. And if all fails, the fate of redistricting will ultimately be in the hands of the Ohio Supreme Court. Right now, the Ohio Supreme Court is made of four Republicans and three Democrats.
December 31, 2020 – DELAYED
Received by President Joe Biden – April 26, 2021
Census Bureau, by law, delivers apportionment counts
to the U.S. President
April 1, 2021 – DELAYED
Rescheduled to September 30, 2021
Census Bureau will send redistricting counts
to each state. These counts will be used to redraw
state legislative districts based on population changes.
In Ohio, state legislature is required to propose a
new district map, conduct public hearings and vote.
If the is bipartisan – supported by at least half of the
members in each party – new districts go into effect
for a 10-year period beginning in 2022.
Deadlines for adopting redistricting plans for
State Legislative and Congressional Districts
DELAYED – New dates posted below
The first deadline to adopt a redistricting plan is September 1st for state legislative districts and September 30th for Congressional districts. If there is an impasse on the maps, the legislative map deadline can be extended to September 15th.
For Congressional district lines, an impasse would result in the commission attempting to adopt a bipartisan plan by October 31st. If the commission can’t adopt a plan, the General Assembly gets a shot at it, with a deadline of November 30th.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Ballotpedia
For events scheduled to keep Ohioans informed
about the redistricting process,
please visit one of the above websites.