Ohio opens public portal for redistricting Congressional maps

Hannah News contributed to this report

Ohioans can now play a direct role in shaping the state’s next congressional districts. Republican legislative leaders this week unveiled redistricting.legislature.ohio.gov, a new portal where the public can submit proposed maps. All submissions will be visible online, offering a level of transparency as lawmakers prepare for the once-again contentious process of redrawing Ohio’s congressional boundaries. 

The state must adopt a new map this year because the current plan, drawn without bipartisan support, was only valid for four years under Ohio’s constitution. Lawmakers face a tight timeline: if the General Assembly fails to pass a bipartisan plan by Sept. 30, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will take over. Should that effort stall until Oct. 31, the legislature can then approve a map by simple majority within constitutional limits. The deadline for passage of that final plan is Nov. 30. 

Democratic leaders and advocacy groups welcomed the portal, encouraging Ohioans to submit their own ideas and push for fairness. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) called public participation “a welcome step toward transparency,” while House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) urged residents to fight gerrymandering by engaging directly. Organizations like Common Cause Ohio and the League of Women Voters added that plenty of fair maps already exist from past citizen-led efforts, leaving little excuse for lawmakers to ignore them. 

However, when the process of drawing a new congressional map will start has not been announced publicly by the Ohio legislature. Spokespersons for both Republican legislative leaders said details will be announced at a future date.