Thank you to those who were able to join us for this month’s Fair Districts Volunteer Huddle! Click here for a recording and here for the slides.

You will find follow up links below. Most importantly, we are asking you (and all the groups and organizations you below to) to please sign and share our statement about Fair Districts!

“OHIOANS FOR FAIR MAPS” SIGN ON STATEMENT.

Check out the district lines:

• Fourth set of Ohio General Assembly maps (adopted 3/28
• Second set of Congressional maps (adopted 3/2)

A few articles about the courts and redistricting:

• Stung by redistricting rulings, Republicans target state court elections, Reuters, 4/11
• The Republican judge blocking her party from rigging electoral districts, Guardian, 4/12

Some great letters to the editor:

• Cupp, Huffman not playing fair by Lisa Robeson of Bluffton
• Ohio Supreme Court is right to reject redistricting plans by Dolores Garcia, North Canton
• A second primary for Ohio is wasteful by Bill Davis of Dayton

Sample Letters to the Editor for you to adapt and use!

1: Our local legislators [insert your local R legislators] are participating in fleecing voters and rigging our democracy. Even though they do not serve on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, legislators need to stand up for voters like us. Please join me in calling and emailing them at [insert contact information] to demand fair state legislative maps and that the legislature establish a time for the primary for these races.

2: I have grown tired watching the members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission flout the law. It is baffling to me that those in power frequently preach about law and order and yet they refuse to follow the new redistricting rules we voters added to the Ohio Constitution to end gerrymandering. We must continue to insist that they are held accountable for drawing unconstitutional maps and when the Ohio Supreme Court sends them back to work that they follow the law and draw fair maps!

3: When Ohioans voted for redistricting reforms, we rejected gerrymandering and drawing voting districts in secret “bunkers.” But that’s exactly what happened again with the state legislative maps. The independent mapmakers hired with our tax dollars were stalled and delayed until the 11th hour when GOP mapmakers switched in “new” maps that were almost identical to ones already ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. The Ohio Redistricting Commission was contemptuous of voters and the Ohio Constitution. They have created a terrible mess that can only be resolved when we have constitutionally compliant, fair voting maps.

Also send your letter to the editor to:

• Co-Chair Speaker Bob Cupp, 614-446-9624, rep04@ohiohouse.gov
• Senate President Matt Huffman, 614-466-7584, huffman@ohiosenate.gov
• Governor DeWine, 614-644-4357, 614-466-3555, Laurel.Dawson@governor.ohio.gov
• Secretary of State LaRose, 614-466-2585, FLaRose@ohiosos.gov

Having two primaries is confusing. Please help with Election Protection!

• Sign up to be a poll monitor.
• Click here to request Election Protection yard signs and other materials to share.
• Sign up to monitor social media about mis/disinformation: RSVP for a training on Wednesday, 4/20 at 5:00pm or 8:00pm

Click here to watch the webinar with David Daley, Kathay Feng, and Rory Riley-Topping.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Fair Districts All Volunteer Huddle, on May 11. Click here to register.

Stay tuned for information about future events. We asked folks on the call last night to say if they would be interested in a few different proposals for future actions. Among the suggestions were to:

• Join a ‘Tired of Waiting for Fair Maps’ rally outside the Ohio Supreme Court in late April;
• Join a silent protest rotation in the map room at the statehouse;
• Help plan a local Fair Districts volunteer appreciation picnic and/or rally;
• Join a study group to examine redistricting in states with independent commissions.