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Does Ohio Need Gerrymandering Reform?

This November, Ohio’s voters will weigh in on whether a wholly new approach is needed to redraw the state’s electoral districts. At stake is potentially nothing less than the future control of Ohio’s statewide legislative bodies. The nonprofit Citizens Not Politicians asserts that Ohio’s current electoral districts are gerrymandered – or drawn unfairly to tilt the electoral playing field – and favors Republicans who currently control both the Ohio House and Senate, while Republican leaders have said no such unfairness exists and that the Democratic failure to secure more of Ohio’s legislative seats is simply an accurate reflection of voter preference. If the proposed ballot initiative passes, control over drawing Ohio’s electoral districts will pass from politicians to a new 15-member nonpartisan board. Will the state’s voters agree that gerrymandering is an issue Ohio needs to solve with a fresh approach, or will the status quo win out? Join us as we unpack the future of Ohio’s legislative districts and the stark choice the state’s voters are facing this fall.

Featuring Maureen O’Connor, Former Chief Justice, The Supreme Court of Ohio; Kareem Crayton, Vice President, The Brennan Center for Justice; Bradley Smith, The Josiah H. Blackmore II / Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law, Capital University; Keith Faber, Ohio Auditor of State; and with moderator Jessie Balmert, State Government Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch | Gannett | USA Today Network.