Public Comment

In my roles as a member of the League of Women Voters and as an active supporter of Ohio Issue 1 in 2018 ( gathering signatures and training signature gatherers in support of Issue 1) I am a strong proponent of fair legislative and Congressional districts that keep communities together and that represent the statewide voting preferences for 54% Republican and 46% Democratic candidates. I am pleased that the Ohio Supreme Court struck down GOP-drawn state House and Senate district maps as well as the Congressional District maps as unconstitutional. Maps reflecting voters' preferences are not "aspirational" as Senate President Huffman claimed, but are, in fact, required under Ohio's constitution. We are watching the hearings and actions of the Redistricting Commission closely and will continue to advocate for fair districts in our state.

Please don't unfairly make This redistricting our county. Just because there are thriving areas of voters of one party, and changing the voting scales to favor another is NOT ok.

I represent the Ohio Coalition on Black Civic Participation/Ohio Unity Coalition. We are a coalition of statewide organizations that serve primarily African American citizens. I am particularly grateful that the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the previous maps. The fact of the matter is those maps packed and cracked black and brown communities and diluted their ability to influence elections. I hope that this time, you will be sensitive to the impact your decisions have on black and brown communities. Do not pack and crack our communities and weaken our power and potentially violate equal protection or any other federal law. This is your chance to get it right so please honor the will of the people and give us fair maps.

I want EVERYONE to be represented fairly! People deserve fair elections, and that starts with fair maps. You cannot be afraid of the people you serve. You cannot be afraid of actual democracy. Make it make sense. " Bipartisan cooperation is needed at all levels of government. Ohio could be the leader in sorting this out fairly. Lead with dignity and empower others to do the same.

Hello! I have submitted two proposed congressional maps on the 19th of January that I think the commission should consider. I re-submitted both of them today, January 20, to fix some constitutionality problems.

Map 1 creates a proportional 9R-6D split, which reflects the competitiveness of Ohio but also its Republican lean. While district 13 does not contain a whole county or is wholly within a county, this recommendation is not a requirement and I think it is better to ignore it in this case.

Map 2 creates a 8R-7D map that conforms more to the county recommendation, but has a bigger overall Republican bias due to 3 D districts being evenly divided. This means that even a couple of points swing to the right could result in a 11R-4D delegation. Map 1 is much more consistent and in my opinion fairer, but I thought it best to propose this one as well.

Thank you for your time. Please implement partisanly fair maps!

Gerrymandering is a tool used by a minority power to retain control. While I, along with countless other Ohioans, were appalled at what's transpired, I take consolation in knowing that the ideology behind the GOP's gerrymandering represents the past - an eventual footnote in America's flawed history with equity: It does not represent Ohio, neither present day, nor our state's great future.

Thank you.

I represent the Ohio Coalition on Black Civic Participation/Ohio Unity Coalition. We are a coalition of statewide organizations that serve primarily African American citizens. I am particularly grateful that the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the previous maps. The fact of the matter is those maps packed and cracked black and brown communities and diluted their ability to influence elections. I hope that this time, you will be sensitive to the impact your decisions have on black and brown communities. Do not pack and crack our communities and weaken our power and potentially violate equal protection or any other federal law. This is your chance to get it right so please honor the will of the people and give us fair maps.

Thank you #7 #CantonBound

Why is this so hard for those who represent us ? Looks like a few have done your work for you . Make this FAIR! Good grief , show the American people that there are still some decent individuals in government who are really looking to make this country an actual country with fair and honest districts. We want to elect those who actually represent us . Districts should not be set up to make the election convenient for the politician. Why is that so hard for you to do ? If you can't do that, then perhaps politics is not for you. We will be watching to see your decisions. Please do the right thing and make the districts FAIR!!! .

Section 6B of the Ohio Constitution is not "aspirational," it is a requirement. The statewide voting proportionality can and must be included in any statewide legislative district maps. It's unfortunate that it's taken a state Supreme Court decision to force the majority Republicans on this commission to take this Constitutional requirement seriously, even though it is supported by an overwhelming majority of Ohioans. You had one consultant working on it last time; did that individual even look at any of the many citizen-drawn maps that actually comply with all of the constitutional requirements? Please do so now, and this time do what is right, and what the voters of Ohio have asked for.

We citizens voted FOR FAIR DISTRICT MAPS. Thank you to our courts in Ohio who agreed with the will of its
voters. Make Ohio a state that young people want to move to not move away from. They are our future. Those of you in our legislature need to do the RIGHT thing and STOP the gerrymandering.

I expect fair maps, maps that actually represent the state, maps that let constituents choose their representative, not maps that allow the representatives to choose their constituents.

To the Commission:
Now that your initial efforts have been so clearly chastised by the courts, I expect you to produce a map which respects the will of the people of Ohio. By this, I mean you you are duty bound to draw a map based on the actual voting habits of Ohioans and not drawn to secure an illegal and unfair advantage for the Republican party. Your constituents are watching - do the right thing, at last.

We need fair maps, so who we vote for that have a majority of votes win & take office. Unfair maps are undemocratic, unconstitutional, & must go.

The Ohio Supreme Court has rightfully rejected the previously adopted legislative maps as being partisan gerrymandered.

In your meeting Tuesday, Governor DeWine reviewed the OSC decision and the criteria which must be met for new maps.

As Representative Russo indicated, there have been many citizen created maps submitted which meet the required criteria. Four maps deserve specific attention:

Ohio Citizen Redistricting Commission unity map
Geoff Wise maps - winner, Fair Districts mapping competition
Pranav Padmanabhan maps - 2nd place, FD competition
Paul Nieves maps - 3rd place, FD competition.

One of these maps should be adopted as is or considered in total with very minor adjustments. The districts are all compact (no oddly misshaped districts), maintain communities with common interests, adhere to the Constitutional splitting and proportionality requirements.

You must do this correctly this time as your oath of office to uphold the Ohio Constitution dictates!

Commission Members:
You do NOT have the right to override the Constitution of the State of Ohio and the voice of the vast majority of Ohioans (twice)to continue to gerrymander our state. You DO have available to you dozens of fair maps -given to you over these past 5 months- to choose from! Quit stalling and saying "this is such a complicated process." It isn't. You DO have the responsibility to the people of Ohio to represent US, not those who would line your pockets or whisper enticements of reelection in your ears regardless of what Ohioans want.

The maps that determine ohio congressional and senate districts need to result in a likely split between republicans and democrats elected to those bodies that closely mirrors the state-wide voting tendency of Ohio. In all recent state-wide elections in which party was clear, ohioans general vote 54% republican, 46% democratic. There is no excuse for the current supermajority, which is a direct result of gerrymandering in 2011. My vote deserves to count, so our state maps need to accurately reflect the actual population and that population's voting record, ACCORDING TO STATE-WIDE VOTING TENDENCIES not the total number of offices won by a party.
Please stop cracking and packing in order to dilute democratic voting blocks and pack democrats as few districts as possible.
Please keep communities together, and pay attention to demographic data such as race.
I should not be voting with Appalachia. I should be voting with Alliance, which is where my kids go to school and i do business.

My simple statement...

MAKE our districts FAIR and COMPETITIVE.
All Ohioans deserve this.
A Strong Democracy = Strong State.
PLEASE PLEASE Keep politics out of redistricting!

Thank you in advance!
Mary Kay DeGrandis Donnelly
Orange Village, Ohio 44022

People deserve fair elections, and that starts with fair maps. You cannot be afraid of the people you serve. You cannot be afraid of actual democracy. Make it make sense. Quite honestly, a fifth grader could probably divvy up a fairer map than what was offered, so please keep that in mind.

Ohio has 16 Congressional districts and, in the 2020 election, went 53% to Trump and 45% to Biden. By this logic, the districts should be roughly 9 for Republicans and 7 for Democrats, or even 8 and 8. That being said, they should also be fairly distributed to represent those who vote Democrat but live in heavily Republican areas and vice versa. Fair districts don't benefit one side or the other--they benefit everyone. We must stop gerrymandering districts to give any one party an unfair advantage and simply represent Ohioans as they vote, and that means all Ohioans. I want my vote to count, but I want all votes to count equally. Please redistrict fairly and with no bias. Thank you.

It appears that the GOP members of the commission believe that they only need to "attempt" to comply with the court order. This is unacceptable. Multiple maps have already been completed that comply with the court order. Start there. Do the right thing for Ohio.

Ohio voters, who put you in office, demand fair maps. Have dignity and uphold the will of the people by creating fair maps.

Please stop wasting taxpayer money on ridiculous proposals and do your job with integrity. Keep communities together and make their needs priority. Political agendas have no place here.
ALL Ohio voters (regardless of party lines) have voted for fair maps and the Supreme Court voted to support voters. Partisan gerrymandered maps are unconstitutional and take another step towards weakening our democracy.

We are not Georgia, Texas, or Florida. You have a chance to make Ohio an example for the nation. An example of how to follow the U.S. Constitution as the founders envisioned, not the gerrymandered corruption of today. Will you rise to the occasion at your time and place in history?

Republicans---stop making lame excuses. I know you do not want to create fair maps but you must do so! You must abide by all the restrictions we specified as voters. Pick one of the fair maps that were created for you already by persons of integrity. Work in a bipartisan way for once!

Stop with the partisan gerrymandering already! The Voters voted for FAIR maps. The Supreme Court upheld it! Now do your jobs and create fair and representational maps for Ohio!!

The Founding Fathers stated that this nation is for the people and by the people. How can anyone properly serve the needs of my community when the maps are drawn to only serve the candidates? You know that the maps are not designed to serve the people but political parties. Do the right thing and draw the maps using the guidelines that the majority of Ohioans voted for.

Ohio Voters have spoken. Ohio courts have spoken. It is now time to create maps that are fair and representational. Representational of all the voters of OH, not just those that will vote R or D, ALL people.
Partisan gerrymandered maps takes away the agency of voters and turns it over to state majority politians and has been deemed unconstitutional.
Now is the time to do the job you were originally tasked with, create fair maps and stop wasting taxpayers time and money with ridiculous, illegal proposals.

The Ohio Supreme Court has spoken clearly, directing the Ohio Redistricting Commission to redraw districts impacting elections for both State and Federal offices. The Ohio Supreme Court has done the right thing, holding the Redistricting Commission to what the Ohio Constitution says which over 70% of Ohio Citizens voted for. Now is the time for members of the Commission to quit stalling and do the RIGHT THING, especially our 3 statewide office holders, Governor DeWine, Secretary of State LaRose and Ohio Auditor of State Faber. After all, they are sworn to uphold the Ohio Constitution and work toward the common good for all the citizens of Ohio, not the whims of any political party or interest group. If the job feels too difficult or treacherous for Commission members, simply pick one of the citizen-drawn maps that do comply with the requirements. Get the job done, and do it right.

To allow a partisan committee to be in control of drawing district maps is something that will never work and is so ridiculously foolish. The committee needs to be balanced equally and should not be completely made up of elected officials. We need a do-over. More emphasis should be made to keep rural and urban areas in tact. Do not mix farm land with inner cities; both segments will be unrepresented.

The citizens of Ohio voted overwhelmingly to draw FAIR DISTRICT MAPS for Ohio voters. With fair maps, Republicans will have 60% of the districts. Ohio can be an example and a leader for the nation in stamping out gerrymandering. This is what the citizens of Ohio voted for. It is inexcusable to continue to draw maps that violate the law and the will of the voters. The nation is watching you.

We need new districts that are not only representative of Ohio, but are also responsive to the will of Ohio voters. AAPI communities deserve fair representation so that our specific community needs and concerns are addressed within the state legislative body. OPAWL urges the Ohio Redistricting Commission to keep the AAPI and other BIPOC communities together in order to create a better Ohio when drawing fair maps. The AAPI community is one of the fastest growing racial and ethnic demographic groups in Ohio and the country. People of Asian or Pacific Islander descent now comprise 7.7% of the national population based on 2020 Census data. In Ohio, the Asian population grew by 58.3% and the Pacific Islander population grew by 44.2% between 2010 and 2020.

The Redistricting Commission has three days to meet the Ohio Supreme Court's deadline. In drawing the new maps, you must keep communities together and prioritize the needs of the voters; not the politicians.

I live in Hamilton County. The proposed new map extends north into Warren County and skimps on Cincinnati. This seems slanted to Republicans whereas Democrats are minimized.

Please take another"fairer"look.

54% Republican leaning districts, 46% Democratic leaning districts. That is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your mandate. The Supreme Court of Ohio and the people of Ohio have made this clear. DO IT.

Follow the law please:
1. Conduct the process with full transparency and hold hearings that allow for input from experts and citizens
2. Keep communities together and prioritize their needs
3. Assure, as specified by the court, that the districts are proportional and adhere to the 54% Republican/46% Democrat breakdown.

No more no less.

I am Mike Porter, newly elected chairman of the Paulding Co. Democratic Party. I have a huge issue with the partisan gerrymandering of our state by the republicans and how they have totally screwed up our voting system! While I agree with the court forcing them to redraw districts, it's messing up getting people to run when they don't even know if their district will be in the neighbor's county. How convenient that republicans wait until the last minute until this comes out of the courts! Plus, the Covid issues up here in N/W Ohio makes it difficult to get signatures to fill petitions that have to be turned in by February 2nd! We voted statewide for fair districts, and the republicans made it fit their own candidates because if you can't run on your records, run in a fixed district, allowing them to use a revolving door in the term limited state! It's time for it to end!

I read recently that the State of Ohio is one of the four most Gerrymandered states in America. It allows politicians to select who there voters are. This results in little accountability to the voters because you only have to please your "base" and not have to ever compromise or hear the other side of an argument.
Gerrymandering is un-American, counter to the idea of citizen involvement, terribly destructive to public life.
Shaping voting districts should be in the hands of an INDEPENDENT, NON PARTISAN board.

The people of Ohio have spoken; we want fair elections. I can't believe that in 2022 we are still fighting for this basic constitutional right. If one party needs to cheat to win elections, maybe it's time to start considering new (more favorable) ideas. This idea of a fair map is a highly favorable one so please, figure it out.

The map that has been presented reeks of false claims and baseless justifications. Stop with these underhanded and undemocratic tactics. Quit beating around the bush and DO YOU JOB. The Constitution demands that districting reflect the actual politics oh Ohioans, not how you wish to force people to vote.

I urge you to draw fair legislative maps that follow the letter and moreover, the spirit of the law.

1. Conduct the process with full transparency and hold hearings that allow for input from experts and citizens
2. Keep communities together and prioritize their needs
3. Assure, as specified by the court, that the districts are proportional and adhere to the 54% Republican/46% Democrat breakdown.

The people have spoken and now the Ohio Supreme Court has reminded you that the people have spoken regarding the need to produce legitimate district maps. Perhaps you thought we weren't watching as the previous commission tried to float through its gerrymandered district maps. We are watching and expect you to do the job the voters require you to do - create legitimate district maps that make sense. The fact that one party feels the need to try to legislate its way to power says that they don't have the policies or programs that they believe a majority of people will support if they are given the chance in fair districts.

As a Summit County resident, I implore you to keep the County in one congressional district. I want a representative that responds to the need of my county, not Cuyahoga County, Youngstown or rural Ohio. I also urge the commission to make sure the other urban counties in the state are split as little as possible. The needs of urban counties are very different from rural ones and the needs of their people should be considered. Thank you.

Ohio voters spoke loudly (71%) in directing the Commission to draw fair districts; we were ignored.

The Ohio Supreme Court called out GOP perfidy and demanded redistricting that serves the people, not the parties (45%D/55%R in Ohio registered voters).

Stop the partisanship; do the job Ohio voters and taxpayers directed you to do.

I was born and raised in Ohio. I have spent my entire life in Ohio, also choosing to attend college here. After college, in my twenties, while professors and friends were saying "move to DC or New York", I chose to stay in Ohio because this is where my family is and my home. As I now approach my mid-twenties, start looking for new jobs, and think about where I want to start a family and career, I am not sure if Ohio is where I see myself. The corruption, partisanship, and gerrymandering occurring at the Statehouse have led me, and most of my friends, to believe that Ohio is no longer a place we want to call home. As a consequence, we take with us our future families, jobs, and dreams. Because in my generation, the personal is the political. I beg you to fulfill your mandate to this great country, this great state, and the great people for which you serve by drawing fair and non-gerrymandered maps. Your oath is to the people, not your party. All of our futures depend on it.

Fair districts are what Ohioians want. We proved this at the ballot box with the passage of the Fair Districts amendment. Ohioans of all political beliefs have said over and over again that we want fair and representative districts. Do your job! A democracy depends on believing and following the rule of law by everyone involved, so please show us the rule of law still matters and follow the Fair Districts amendment's dictates to draw fair districts maps.

Ohio voters have made it more than clear that gerrymandering in our state has got to go! Candidates for public office no longer need to campaign on ideas and values; in many cases, they have shown us that they don't even need to answer constituent questions or describe their policies. We call on the members of the Commission to be statesmen and women; courageous enough to set the table for conversation and debate, rather than power grabs.

Fair districts are what Ohioians want. We said such at the ballot box with the passage of the Fair Districts amendment. Being a representative democracy, we all want to be part of the decision making through representatives that reflects us: democrats, independents, republicans. A democracy depends on believing and following the rule of law by everyone involved, so please show us the rule of law still matters and follow the Fair Districts amendment's dictates to draw fair districts maps.

Ohio voters have emphatically rejected gerrymandering and charged this commission with creating fair maps (roughly 54-46%). To do otherwise is unconstitutional. The maps that were rejected by Ohio's Supreme Court were not only politically unjust but also racially discriminatory. Ohio voters demand fair maps!

It is vitally important that Ohio's district maps are fair and reflect the diversity and demographics of Ohio voters. The gerrymandering of the previous map, which split up communities of color--largely Democratic--so thoroughly as to make their votes not count among largely white Republican voters, was a blatant and unamerican power grab by the GOP. We must draw fair district lines so that the most marginalized groups in Ohio are truly represented in the state congress, regardless of party.

The Committee cannot structure new districts to favor one party over another. The ratio of 45% Democrats and 55% Republicans must be reflected in the new districts.

On behalf of the 120,00 members of the Ohio Education Association, I urge you to comply with the Supreme Court order and produce maps that correspond to the statewide preferences of voters. Ohioans have favored Republicans by a 54-46 margin over the past 10 years. The districts drawn by this body must reflect that. During public testimony last fall you were presented several maps that met all Constitutional requirements.

Ohioans deserve the change we voted for"an end to partisan gerrymandering and a real voice at the Statehouse. Ohio voters deserve to choose their elected officials, not the other way around. It is beyond disappointing that it takes an order of the Court for you to follow the Constitution and the will of the people.

Fairness, honesty, and integrity are needed to determine fair maps. I hope you, unlike that last Commission, are equal to the task at hand. Representative Democracy matters more than winning.

The public is tired of the disenfranchisement of voters in Ohio. The districts have been clearly and artificially been drawn to assist the GOP to remain active n power. There is NO valid reason why the massive gerrymandering has happened this n OHIO and we demand all voters get a chance to do their duty without any BS, which the gop has done to keep people like Jordan in office despite he has done zero for the people, all
He does is shout.

I suggest that you ask an independent agency/group to generate the required 2 maps that give a 55 to 60 percent edge to the republicans and give these maps to the Supreme Court for approval.

The Ohio Supreme Court was clear about what must be done with the state maps, holding that the Commission "did not attempt to draw a plan that meets the proportionality standard in Article XI, Section 6(B) and "did not attempt to draw a plan that meets the standard in Section 6(A)"that no plan shall be drawn primarily to favor a political party. The Court was also clear that maps must be redrawn by January 22, with transparency and input and must meet proportionality of 54% Republican districts and 46% Democrat districts. The new maps must correct current Ohio Senate districts which are split 75% R/25% D and the Ohio House districts which are 65% R/35% D. Voters' voices cannot be silenced by cracking them into districts that do not represent their community or packing them into districts that effectively limit the power of their vote. Ohioans expected you to follow the Constitution during your first attempt and you did not. Now there's no excuse. Draw fair maps.

The two constitutional amendments approved by Ohio voters said loud and clear that the new districts should not be packed to favor one party over the other. Ohio voters are 45% Democrat and 55% Republican. That ratio must be reflected in the districts.

I feel strongly that should the new maps fail to fairly, and properly represent the population by the next coming election, (May 3rd)
charges should be brought. We can't be a democracy, and allow democracy to be obstructed at the same time. If the people elected to represent ohio, and the overwhelming vote to un-gerrymander our state, refuse to do their job they should be punished for such disgusting behavior.

It is extremely important that congressional districts be drawn fairly in Ohio. Every vote needs to count.

I am a software developer for IBM in Columbus Ohio. I am very familiar with algorithms to ensure fair districting. By far the fairest is a system that uses Voronoi Diagrams as the basis for generating district maps. In such a system you'd notice cell-like or honeycomb-shaped contiguous districts. In such a system, there would be larger districts in the rural areas and smaller districts in the urban areas each having a similar-sized population. within its walls. This method allows each representative to have equal constituents with minimum travel. We just aren't seeing that with the maps generated by this commission. If we continue to use districts we should be using mathematical models to describe our districts. OR perhaps even better we shouldn't even use districts at all. We could use proportional representation and rid our state of any form of district and therefore any shred of gerrymandering at all.

The express will of the voters who approved the two constitutional amendments is clear: the new districts should not be packed to favor one party over the other. Ohio voters are 45% dems/55% GOP. That ratio must be reflected in the districts. Do your job honestly.

Give us fair and contiguous districts, or witness the fall of this Republic. Dipping into Clintonville (part of Columbus) to cancel out votes with the surrounding fascist leaning rural countries, is unacceptable. This is nothing more than cowardice I'm the part of those in power. If this continues, my family will be shopping for other jurisdictions and will take our tax and economic activity out of this state.

Please create fair maps that correctly represent the desires and distribution of Ohio voters.

Please defenbd out democracy!!!!! Please look out for the common good and not just a partial good. There are so many who are giving up on democracy you can defend as our soldiers did by coming to a bipartisan for the good of the State map of our districts. I beg you on behalf of my grandchildren make a powerfgul statement for democracy. Norm Horstman

Our current tech capabilities allow us to generate very targeted micro-data. With great accuracy, we can determine the political preferences of individual voters. We, as a state voted for fairness in redistricting. We are fully capable of drawing districts which fairly reflect our state population. Failure to do so points to the obvious and logical conclusion that political considerations are striving to further erode our democracy.

I am deeply troubled with how the gerrymandered district maps are especially unfair to minority voters. The maps are not only politically unjust but are racially discriminatory. I also want to be represented by someone who lives in my area. We voted to have fair maps and the maps that were submitted were not fair or just.

No way should I, in Parma, be represented by the same rep as extremely rural Ashtabula. We have such differing needs.
I love my current rep, but she should not have to drive 2 hours to cover her district from Toledo.

In addition to the excellent comments already submitted, I want to emphasize that any complaints about not being able to draw new maps in time are unacceptable. Not only did the commission have ample opportunity to follow the state constitution the first time around, but numerous compliant maps have also been submitted to the committee for their review and use. Take responsibility for representing the voters and pass a compliant map!

I would like to be represented by someone who actually lives in my county, but we've been carved out to make "safe" districts for politicians. The district line literally runs right past my house and it makes no sense other as obvious election manipulation. It would also be great if elections were more competitive. Then maybe we could have candidates in the general election that actually represent the majority (moderate) viewpoint. As it stands the only real competition is in the primaries where candidates compete to be the most extreme caricature of their party.

I have lived in Ohio nearly my entire life. I have never been more disappointed in my elected officials relative to the laws currently being proposed/passed and was so pleased when our method of redistricting was passed by 71% of our voters here. Obviously, the will of the voters is a non-gerrymandered map and one that is fair and logical. Please complete your task responsibly and as required by law.

As you know, Ohio voters have emphatically rejected gerrymandering and charged this commission with creating fair maps (roughly 54-46%). Our Supreme Court reaffirmed this directive. I've lived in Ohio all my life and want to feel proud of our democracy, but I can only feel ashamed until we have fair maps. We're counting on you to let our votes count. Please give us fair districts.

I am deeply troubled with how the gerrymandered district maps are especially unfair to minority voters. The maps
are not only politically unjust but they are racially discrimatory.

I therefore strongly ask of you to stop suppressing the Black and other minorities vote. This can be accomplished
by keeping communities together and not divided like they are in the maps you created. Thank you.

Once again the Ohio Republican Party has decided to put party and power over the will of 71% of Ohioans who voted for fair districts and maps TWICE overwhelmingly. The republicans have complained the Ohio Supreme Court did not give them enough time - 10 days - to redraw and resubmit new maps. If the republicans would have followed the Ohio Constitution in the first place, you wouldn't be here. Ohioans expect better. Ohioans deserve better. Fair maps! Fair districts!

As a voter and concerned citizen, I urge you to follow the will of the people and Supreme Court of Ohio. Go back to the table, draw up a fair, representative map. The gerrymandering that has gone on too long in this state is not a good look for us nationally. We want to draw young people and businesses to live and thrive here? We won't do that if we continue to let one political party strong arm the voters.

I have lived in Ohio my entire adult life and I have never been fairly represented in any district I've lived in. When I lived in a progressive city, I was gerrymandered to share a rep with people living in rural Wayne & Stark Counties - I have never even been to either place. There is no logic that a person who lives in suburban Cleveland should be represented by an insurrectionist who lives in Holmes County, as I am now. This rigged system has purposely stifled my vote and my voice for my entire adult life. This is the epitome of taxation without representation. We the People of Ohio have voted and we resoundingly demanded an end to gerrymandered maps in this state. Twice. Tell me how a state that went 45%+ for Joe Biden in 2020 holds only 4 of the 16 (25%) seats in The House? It's nothing short of cheating, and worse, denying representation - a Constitutional Right - to nearly half of the citizens of Ohio. I demand fair representation. Now.

Stop the gerrymandering of our districts! There is NO excuse for trying to split Hamilton County into 3 different districts and putting us in with the northern rural Trumpers to dilute our votes. It's shameful how the Rupublicans are trying to shift our districts around so that our votes don't count! We voted for FAIR districts and that just gets cast aside so that one party can cheat to try to stay in power. SHAME ON THEM!

Stand up for DEMOCRACY. Gerrymandering is a threat to our democratic system of governance. You have been given power to represent ALL voters, not just the ones that support you & especially not just special interests. Work for compromise-remember that word? Remember what we teach our kids? Play fair! Stop rigging the system in favor of one party. Do as the voters have directed and as the Ohio Supreme Court has directed. That's the job you were elected to do. Draft truly fair and balanced legislative and Congressional districts as was voted into our state constitution. We want our votes fairly counted, no matter what our political beliefs are"not cracked & packed to suit you. Elections should not be rigged by the party in power, it is immoral and unconstitutional.

I have family members on both sides of the party lines. I believe that the voice of the people, the voice of citizens of this great state, is what should decide elections. I want all of my family members' voices to be heard, not just some. Now and in the future. Citizens should choose their elected officials, not the other way around. You can get this right.

I hope that the committee will design districts that are fair and that follow the will of the people as expressed in their overwhelming endorsement of the amendments to the constitution and according to the decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Please create a fair and transparent district map.

Stop playing political games and use the power of the redistricting software to create fair maps. It's easy to do: private citizens have submitted fair maps, as have political science professors. You can do it.

My questions for the Republicans who attempted to gerrymander Ohio districts in their favor, despite the will of their constituents who voted to end gerrymandering on our state: Have you no shame? Have you no ethics? Have you no conscience? Have you no confidence to secure the votes of the people based on your political views and policies you promise to enact, but instead resort to unfair gerrymandering and restrictive voting laws? I am ashamed at what the Republican Party has become. Do the right thing and right this wrong.

In addition to violating the amendments to the Ohio Constitution that 71% of Ohio voters supported, the gerrymandered districts the Republican majority on the redistricting commission designed have undermined confidence in our state government. My district should be compact and representative of my community's interests: our school districts, our small business owners, our common local priorities. Each district's interests should be fairly balanced against the others' when the legislature makes policy for the state. With gerrymandering in place, the legislature represents no one except political organizations with massive amounts of money to buy the policies they want. In ignoring what 71% of the voters asked for, the majority on the commission has alienated voters in its own political party along with all others. Is this really what you want? Ohio voters are clear on what we voted for, and we are watching the revision process expecting to see the Ohio Supreme Court's order followed.

In 2018, an overwhelming majority of Ohio voters sent a clear message. We want a fair and transparent redistricting process that produces fair maps. The Ohio Supreme Court has determined that your first attempt ignored that message and the Ohio Constitution. As an Ohio voter, I will be paying even closer attention to your second attempt.

Gerrymandering has become a very real threat to our democratic system of governance and grows worse with each passing decade. Please follow the will of Ohio's voters and draft truly fair and balanced legislative and Congressional districts. Do as the voters have requested and as the Ohio Supreme Court has directed. I want my vote, and my neighbor's vote fairly counted, no matter what our political beliefs are. Elections should not be rigged by the party in power, it is immoral and unconstitutional.

I am tired of living in a state gerrymandered by Republicans just so they can hold onto power. They only serve themselves by doing so, not the people they're supposedly there to represent. I want to live in a democracy where we're all treated equally and fairly. Where everyone's vote truly matters. Sadly, that's not the current state of Ohio. We deserve fair maps now.

I found the last process very disappointing. I am 56 years old and for all but two years have lived in Ohio. I accept the fact that the state of my birth has become more republican in its voting patterns. However, in no way does Ohio have an electorate that warrants the super-majority the GOP maps came up with. Not only is this non-representative, it blatantly disregards the will of the people who voted for fair districts. I am personally impacted by this. My suburb in Columbus overwhelming votes democratic, yet, I am represented by coal lobbyist Mike Carey in congress as Ohio 15 has been combined with vast swaths of rural Ohio. The way Franklin and Hamilton county have been carved up is ridiculous. I am particularly disappointed in my state senator, Stephanie Kunze, who voted for the current maps and Mike DeWine who expressed disappointment, yet signed the bill. Show some courage. Do better.

Ohioans voted for fair districts, voted against gerrymandering that split communities, & voted for respecting people's constitutional rights.
Do NOT throw out the people!
Establish fair districts, 54-46% state-wide.

For every voice to be heard in a Democracy, districting must be fair and balanced, but in the most true sense. Please give us the districts we deserve that allow every voice to be heard.

That a ruling party would rig voting maps to ensure power is surely everything the founding fathers deplored. Such an aberration of democracy is a certain sign democracy itself is failing. There must be a foundation upon which American political morals are built. This is such a place. Please suspend partisanship and strive to ensure the fairness our democratic process deserves. Thank you.

We need fair, accurate districting that reflects the actual population of the district. Gerrymandering does not result in fairness and can alter the voting outcome, which in my opinion is unconstitutional. One vote, one person and that vote should count from the place where the voter is a permanent resident.

I was very displeased with the Redistricting Map that was originally submitted, and you can and must do better!

Thank you for considering my comments.

The only way to make redistricting maps fair is to split districts evenly, 50-50. 50% for Democrats and 50% for Republicans as this will give voters like me a chance to elect a representative that reflects my liberal views.

Ohio voters have spoken and the Ohio Supreme Court affirmed equal districts. Please adhere to the guidelines. End gerrymandering in Ohio. Equal districts. Please listen to your constituents and let's stop being divisive and get back to what it important.

Ohio Voters have spoken. Ohio courts have spoken. It is now time to create maps that are fair and representational. Partisan gerrymandered maps takes away the agency of voters and turns it over to state majority politians and has been deemed unconstitutional.
Now is the time to do the job you were originally tasked with, create fair maps and stop wasting taxpayers time and money with ridiculous, illegal proposals.

Gerrymandering has become a threat to our democratic system of governance over the past many years and grows worse with each passing decade. Please follow the will of Ohio's voters and draft truly fair and balanced legislative and Congressional districts. Do as the voters have requested and as the Ohio Supreme Court has directed.

The voters of Ohio have charged you with drawing districts that fairly represent their political division" roughly 46% Democratic 54% Republican. To gerrymander district maps is to thwart the will of the people and a dereliction of your duty to your constituents.

This commission had one job, which was to make fair maps and ensure that all voices could be heard and representation could exist.

Instead, my state representative and my state senator worked to privately rig the previous maps and try to entitle the Republican Party to over 70% of the seats.

The Supreme Court of Ohio, said no.

I hope this commission DOES form an appropriate 54-46 map and does not partisanly gerrymander this state again for 10 years.

You must approve State House and Senate district maps that fully comply with all the provisions of Article XI of the State Constitution including, as instructed by the Supreme Court, Article XI, Section 6(B). The Court stated, the term statewide preferences of the voters of Ohio means the percentages of votes received by the candidates of each political party based on the total votes cast in statewide state and federal partisan elections during the preceding ten years. In other words, the Commission is required to attempt to draw a plan in which the statewide proportion of Republican-leaning districts to Democratic-leaning districts closely corresponds to 54 to 46 percent respectively. This can be accomplished. President Huffman and Speaker Cupp acknowledged this in their brief by conceding that [Petitioners'] experts can easily draw simulated maps after the fact that provide exact proportionality by making exact proportionality one of their criteria for drawing maps.

Gerrymandering distorts and undermines representative democracy. It allows officials to choose their voters rather than voters choosing who represents them. It is a cudgel to equal voting rights and silences our voice as constituents, all done in order to strengthen the dominance of one political party.

The voters of Ohio overwhelmingly voted for fair maps and redistricting. You have flouted what the voters have asked for, tipping the scale on the balance of power once again. The evidence in these cases makes clear beyond all doubt that the General Assembly did not heed the clarion call sent by Ohio voters to stop political gerrymandering, Justice Michael P. Donnelly wrote in the majority opinion.

The Republican Legislators on the commission even said the new constitutional provisions did not require them to meet the test for fairness, arguing that wording was aspirational rather than mandatory. The court said this was incorrect. They had no intention of playing fair.

It's all been said in these comments! Thank you Ohio Supreme Court and now on to fair districts.