Let’s get redistricting right

Ohio’s U.S. House of Representatives seats are required by law to be redistricted after the 2020 census. We need to make sure that we do not end up having the disaster that happened after the 2010 redistricting.

We ended up with 16 safe seats with very little competition in the primaries and general election.

Plans for the 2020 redistricting have many politicians involved with the process. We need to have a nonpartisan commission, excluding everyone who has held a state or federal office or a political position.

The commission should make all seats as competitive as possible. For example, Hamilton County (Cincinnati) and surrounding counties have a population of about 1.5 million and are entitled to two seats. Determine the percentage of Republicans and Democrats and make sure each seat has the same percentage.

Also, voter registration should be done by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles: People can register when they obtain or renew their driver’s license. It would save money and increase voter registration.

More and more voters are so disgusted with both parties that they register as independents. I think independents should able to vote in the primaries and registered Republicans and Democrats should be allowed to cross over.

We also need a better way of funding elections. Each voter gets only one vote, but wealthy people, who contribute large sums of money, have much more political power.

Tom Braun New Bremen