June 4, 2010 Contact: Ann Henkener
League of Women Voters of Ohio
614.267.9699 (h)

League of Women Voters of Ohio Urges the General Assembly to Place a Proposed Redistricting Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot in 2010

Representative democracy depends on the voters freely choosing their elected officials. Reforming the hyper-partisan process by which electoral districts are drawn in Ohio has been a priority for the League of Women Voters of Ohio for three decades.

Redistricting reform is an issue that goes to the heart of our democratic system of government. Ohioans deserve house and senate districts that are designed to produce representatives who reflect the political values of their constituents. Districts should be drawn that truly allow voters to competitively elect their representatives rather than be faced with districts that, in effect, allow the politicians to select their voters. Furthermore, Ohio needs to move away from redistricting models that produce districts that don’t reflect preferences of Ohio voters, permit protection of incumbents, and encourage unnaturally high numbers of safe seats.

Merging Sen. Husted’s proposal, SJR 5, and Rep. Letson’s proposal, HJR 15, would go far to ensure that elected officials who approve legislative district boundaries in 2011…
• Will represent the interests of all Ohioans, not just the interests of their political parties;
• Will make determinations based on fair, objective, measurable criteria; and
• Will use a process that is open and transparent.

The League of Women Voters of Ohio urges the General Assembly and its leadership to continue its deliberations and place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in November which will put an end to the overly partisan gerrymandering that has plagued Ohio politics for decades – and put in place a system to improve democracy in Ohio by enabling voters to choose their officeholders, rather than officeholders choosing their voters.