Support urged for redistricting initiative

Thank you for the coverage of the Ohio Redistricting Initiative Petition Drive.

On Feb. 10, a letter was published from the president of the League of Women Voters of Geauga County, which was written before a compromise was reached on Feb. 6 between the Ohio Legislature and the groups promoting the petition drive.

A proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution will appear on the May 8 ballot which meets the criteria favored by Common Cause and Fair Districts Ohio:

• 1. Both major parties must be meaningfully engaged in the process.

• 2. Communities should not be needlessly divided.

• 3. Maps cannot be drawn to favor a political party or candidate.

The current legislation requires a three-fifths vote of both the House and Senate to pass a new map and must include at least 50 percent support of minority party members.

If that doesn’t work: Ohio’s existing seven-person bipartisan redistrict commission will be empowered to draw a new map and must approve a map with at least two minority part votes.

If that doesn’t work: The legislature gets another chance to draw and pass a 10-year map, with one-third of the minority party’s support or a four-year map without minority party support. Stricter rules protecting against unfair manipulation would apply.

On the May ballot, the Senate-approved proposed amendment will appear.

Because of the work of countless petition circulators and voters who signed those petitions, voters will have an opportunity to vote to put in place a better system to determine congressional districts and end gerrymandering.

The League of Women Voters will continue to collect signatures to put the issue before the voters in November, in case the amendment proposal fails in May, but we are urging voters to support the May initiative.

Ellen Chamberlain First vice president League of Women Voters of Lake County