With 6 weeks until Ohio's primary, many voting districts still haven't been decided

[MissMillie]

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/23/1088095613/with-6-weeks-until-ohios-primary-many-voting-districts-still-havent-been-decided

Voters in Ohio are supposed to be able to vote in the state's May 3 primary – up and down the ballot – but with just six weeks to go, the voting districts for the state legislature haven't been decided.

Most states are wrapping up their redistricting process, but Ohio's Supreme Court has rejected the Republican-drawn state legislative maps three times for being unconstitutional, leaving candidates, voters and the state's entire voting infrastructure confused about what comes next.

After the court's latest map rejection, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, told lawmakers and elections officials that it would be impossible under the current circumstances for state House and state Senate races to appear on the May 3 ballot.

"Our bipartisan elections officials were ready to conduct this election on time," LaRose wrote in a letter to lawmakers. "However, those boards are now left once again without clear districts to certify legislative candidates, and they're simply out of time."

For the first time, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are now working together to try and draw new districts that the Ohio Supreme Court may allow to move forward.

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Doesn't seem to me like they're working together.

The original map looked ridiculous. I can only imagine what the State GOP tried to do to it.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. How can you have primary elections without definite congressional districts?

[jimfields33]

2. Use the old districts. That'd be my guess.

Have a new map by November. Not ideal but it’s Ohio.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. But that would invalidate the election for the new district.

Let's say you lived in a municipality that was CD-1 and voted for the primary candidate for that district, but before November, that municipality was in CD-2. You were denied the opportunity to vote for the primary candidate running for the congressional seat for THAT district.

I see a clusterf*ck in the offing.

[jimfields33]

4. I know. It's going to be a mess unless the get a map ASAP!

[FarPoint]

5. I have heard from a knowledgeable source here in Ohio...

That the Feds will have to step in....from a retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice...a Democrat as well..

"Regardless of where the cases began...federal voting rights are being violated every day in Ohio and the Federal Courts clearly have jurisdiction of that constitutional right."

[Diamond_Dog]

6. It's the state Republicans who are 100% to blame for this mess

And La Rose knows it.

They thought if they stuck their heads in the sand, screwed around, and delayed long enough, they could keep their gerrymandered maps for another election. Thank Goodness for REPUBLICAN Chief Justice O’Connor who seems to be the only Republican in the whole state who understands the concept of fair district maps.