Public Comment
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Comments
I am asking the committee to draw fair maps. An overwhelming majority of Ohioans supported a constitutional amendment in 2018 and thousands of us have been watching, contacting the committee members, attending hearings and giving testimony in 2021. Please do not unnecessarily divide communities. The people have spoken, the state Supreme Court has spoken. It's time for fair maps.
I hope we will see a map that reflects the 54%/45% percentages maintained, consistent with the constitutional amendment that WE THE VOTERS approved statewide across party lines.
Several of the maps submitted come much closer to meeting those goals than the map that was approved and struck down by the court. I want my vote to count.
Fairly drawn voting districts are key to a functioning democracy. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that the manipulation that was done previously violated Ohio law. As evenly divided as the parties are at the state level, it is imperative that the new districts don't dilute the minority party to the extent that they are no longer competitive, particularly around major metropolitan areas where the minority party voters are concentrated.
Cut the crap and draw a fair map!
Cut the crap and draw a fair map!
I am asking the committee to submit a fair map. Where I live, in the first house district, the gerrymandering is so bad most great candidates won't even run. We need strong leaders in Ohio. We have major problems in education and we need a legislature that is not corrupt. The way we get there is with fair maps and competitive districts. The people have spoken and the Supreme Court has spoken. Give us fair maps now.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission purposefully disregarded the will of Ohioans by ignoring the 2018 redistricting reform overwhelmingly supported by Ohioans. This was on the off-chance that the Supreme Court of Ohio would allow for this continued disregard for our democracy. This did not happen. Now, the task before the Commission is a simple one. Draw maps that do not unnecessarily divide communities. Draw maps that are reasonably proportional to the state-wide partisan vote share. Draw maps that are bipartisan and competitive. Win your elections on your positions, not by hand-selecting your own electorate. If you again send an unconstitutional map to the Supreme Court of Ohio, you will spark a real constitutional crisis derived from your ineptitude and failure to care about your sworn duty as lawmakers. Drawing fair maps will prove to be much easier than the complexities that follow dividing all of Ohio's communities by party affiliation.
There have been numerous proposed maps that not only meet the constitutional requirements, but are also fair and proportional. Those members of the commission that voted in favor of the now thrown out maps MUST do their civic duty and approve a real, fair map. The public will not tolerate delay after delay or accept excuses. Do your job, choice a fair map that relfects the 55/45 R/D split that Ohio is. Thank you.
It is ridiculous that pur representatives do not represent the state. Districts should be fair. They should represent the state's actual population. It's obscene that a representative can pick who votes for him.
While you're at it, at is absurd that it takes urban voters 30 or 60 minutes to vote because there aren't enough polling places and machines.
I have been a Medina County resident since 1982 and voted in 2015 and again in 2018 to finally put an end of gerrymandering in Ohio I expected it to end in 2021 but to my dismay republicans are trying to ignore Ohioans who voted for fair and free competitive election it must end now! I have lived in a divided county since 2010 which is unacceptable! My representative is Mr Gibbs he does not represent his constituents and quaranteed election every 2 years with gerrymandering time to end it now
Follow the rules laid out in the state constitution. It is that simple. The previous maps were rejected for failing to do just that.
Either you represent the people of this state and will do as we willed in the constitutional amendment, or you don't and we won't forget.
I assume that we all believe in democracy, and the democratic process. Anything short of respecting the will of the people of Ohio - who voted in droves in 2018 to get rid of gerrymandered maps - is clearly something other than democracy. Please take this opportunity to do better and prove that you support a robust democracy and honor our wishes to get rid of gerrymandered maps.