The results of a poll at Cleveland.com. I think the last choice -- an at-large election -- sounds interesting.
We can tear up the Ohio congressional redistricting map designed by Ohio Republicans and recently signed into law.
The Ohio Supreme Court has approved a referendum to be placed on the 2012 ballot to allow voters to abolish this map. Waiting for a 2012 referendum would cause such chaos, it seems likely that this Court decision will force Republican and Democratic leaders to allow a new map to be constructed via compromise. The process to determine how a new map will be drawn is being worked out this week in a high stakes drama now unfolding in Columbus.
To respond to the Supreme Court action, it appears that the first choice of Republicans is to pass “emergency legislation” that, according to the Ohio Constitution, would not be subject to referendum. Such legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. In the House, 59 of the 99 members are Republicans, so, only seven Democratic votes are needed for a new map to be approved by the necessary two-thirds majority. Republicans already have a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
It appears the first Republican strategy is to get votes from black Democrats in the House — by making a deal to arrange the map so that at least one more district could elect a black. Rep. Sandra Williams, a Cleveland Democrat who heads the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus says she has been contacted. “If the members of the caucus were interested, I would definitely entertain it,” she said. Williams said a black caucus meeting is scheduled for Wednesday where the topic is likely to come up for discussion.
It would seem unlikely that the black caucus would antagonize the Ohio Democratic Party by making a separate agreement with the Republicans. But, if a new map could gain the support of the black caucus, then this might push the Democratic leadership towards making a broader based deal.
The most likely outcome, it appears, is that the House Democrats will stick together and demand the formation of a bipartisan commission to work out a new map. A bipartisan commission is the first choice of those polled at cleveland.com. (See chart at left.)
It looks like the primary, now scheduled for March, will need to be moved to May or June. If a redistricting deal can’t be reached and the process for a referendum begins, the deadline for gathering signatures will be after the current December 7 deadline, so, if the process for a referendum is set in place, it appears certain that the primary will scheduled for a later date. And if a compromise process is agreed to, it appears the primary, also, will be set later, in order give candidates additional time in the new districts.
The map recently signed into law by Gov. Kasich makes 12 of Ohio's 16 congressional districts to be safely Republican -- although Ohio usually is about evenly divided in Republican and Democratic votes
Elections have consequences. That was true for 2008 and also for 2010. The idea of a referendum is absurd.
Why should elections that happen to be held in a decennial year result in a ten year gerrymander that allows politicians to pick voters and determine the outcome for 10 years, essentially depriving many citizens of a meaningful vote? It’s not like the officials involved announce their gerrymandering plans to the voters and campaign on how they are going to gerrymander the district if they get 3 of they 5 positions. This is essentially politicians gaming ths system to stay in office, the antithesis of democracy.