POLITICUSUSA

The Ohio Supreme Court has struck down the state’s gerrymandered U.S. Congressional districts map for partisan bias.

The ACLU announced the victory in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

 The Supreme Court of Ohio issued a 4-3 ruling today in the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit challenging Ohio’s U.S. congressional district map, ordering the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly to draw a new map that complies with the Ohio Constitution.

Now, Ohio lawmakers will be sent back to the drawing board to craft a new map within 30 days. If they can’t find a solution, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will have 30 days to do so.

Oral arguments in this case occurred on December 28, 2021. The filing deadline for candidates seeking congressional seats is March 4, 2022, and the primary election is set for May 3, 2022.

Republicans have a month to draw a legitimate map that complies with the constitutional amendment on fair maps that was passed by Ohio voters. Republicans were sued months ago for their gerrymandered map, as the map was a clear violation of the state’s constitution.

The ruling is a significant victory for democracy, but Ohio is just one of many states where voting rights advocates are attempting to hold off extreme Republican gerrymandering efforts.

While the left is fighting to protect voting rights, the other political battle being waged is to stop the extreme gerrymandering of elections.