If you saw our press release from Friday, you know that the leaders of the Fair Districts coalition are not happy with the maps officially proposed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission. In fact, we’re outraged. If those maps were adopted as they are now, Ohio’s House and Senate districts would be even more gerrymandered than they are today. Read our analysis of the officially proposed maps HERE.

The next deadline for state legislative maps is Wed., Sept. 15. The Ohio Redistricting Commission is holding a series of hearings on their proposed maps early next week. These hearings are our last chance to pressure for better, fairer maps! The members of the Commission need to hear from you! Please testify, submit testimony, or attend if you can.

Information about testifying can be found at the commission website. And we’re sharing additional information below.

When and where are the hearings?

• Dayton – Sunday 9/12, 4 p.m. @ Washington Township Recreation Center, RecPlex East, 895 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Dayton, OH 45459
• Cleveland area – Monday 9/13, 4 p.m. @ Corporate College East, Super Conference Room (Room 126), 4400 Richmond Rd, Warrensville Heights, OH 44128
• Columbus – Tuesday 9/14, 10 a.m. @ Ohio House Finance Hearing Room (Room 313), Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio 43215-4275 (The Commission will receive testimony onsite in Columbus and remotely at Washington State Community College, Arts & Science Building (Auditorium), 710 Colegate Drive Marietta, Ohio 45750.)

How do I submit a witness slip and testimony?

• If you are testifying in person and/or submitting written testimony for a regional hearing of the Redistricting Commission, email a completed witness information form to testimony@redistricting.ohio.gov.
• Click to access the witness information form, then download a copy. You will be able to fill out and save the copy you have downloaded. From there you can attach the completed slip in your email to the commission.
• If you are submitting testimony, you may include a copy of your testimony as a PDF (preferred) or word document with your email when you submit your witness form.

Additional tips:

• While the commission does not specify that you must submit your witness slip and/or testimony 24 hours in advance, we suggest sending it in as soon as possible.
• In addition, at ORC hearings so far, those wishing to testify have been allowed to fill out a witness slip there and ten. While we can’t guarantee this will be allowed, it is worth showing up even if you have not prepped in advance.
• If you plan on testifying in person at one of the regional hearings of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and you have electronic materials to present, the commission has asked each location for a monitor or screen/projector connected to a laptop at each location for in-person testimony.In case those are not present or working, as backup, please bring: your presentation in a standard file format (Powerpoint, Word, PDF) on a USB-A compatible flash drive; Seven (7) printed copies of your presentation.
• Showing up to support fair maps is important, even if you do not plan to testify!
• Yes, it is allowed and encouraged to testify at more than once hearing.

Show your support for fair maps:

Wear your Fair Districts buttons, masks, and t-shirts!

What to cover in your testimony:

• The Commission is limiting testimony to comments on submitted maps. See our list of links below. You can find additional submitted maps on the commission website.
• When you are submitting a witness slip and testimony in advance, be sure to indicate that you plan to talk about submitted maps! No matter what you want to discuss (the process, the need for fair maps), you can find a way to begin your testimony by talking about submitted maps!

Here they are in case you want a visual:

Here are links to maps to for you to view and discuss in your testimony:

• Ohio Redistricting Commission officially proposed House map: https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::694919f7-6a5d-445b-b4f8-532be7635f3a
• Ohio Redistricting Commission officially proposed Senate map: 
• https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::861381ea-cc5a-49ae-87a2-337f503a5b34
• Dem Caucus Ohio House: https://davesredistricting.org/join/a86bea69-f7e5-4bee-a88e-85ca44c73a0c 
• Dem Caucus Ohio Senate: https://davesredistricting.org/join/5e737636-57e7-48e0-88b9-d8c05c534e4f 
• Competition winner Geoff Wise Ohio House: https://davesredistricting.org/join/e208c87d-53c4-4794-8913-f43d041dc2f3 
• Competition winner Geoff Wise Ohio Senate: https://davesredistricting.org/join/95808260-2728-4550-aca3-ecd5946c9703 
• Competition winner Pranav Padmanabhan Ohio House: https://davesredistricting.org/join/c48a229f-2597-43a5-a238-cc7e96ca5ca4  
• Competition winner Pranav Padmanabhan Ohio Senate: https://davesredistricting.org/join/f97f0523-ea00-4879-aebe-9f372ee5beca  
• Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission Ohio House: https://davesredistricting.org/join/a9bc9af0-1124-4b0e-80df-2c4e52369ebd 
• Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission Ohio Senate: https://davesredistricting.org/join/1f8b18e0-0731-43ee-96a3-1c1ff22bb6b5 

More Helpful Documents

• Fair Districts analysis of the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s officially proposed map
• Press release from Fair Districts RE the Ohio House and Senate competition winners and the officially proposed maps
• ‘Almost the definition of gerrymandering’: GOP redistricting plan has more Republican-leaning seats, Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/10/2021.
• ‘Fair Districts’ Coalition Slams Ohio Redistricting Commission Maps, Andy Chow, 9/10/2021
• Folder with map images

Many thanks for continuing the fight for fair districts!