We live in a democracy, right? One person, one vote?
Not quite. Ohio sends 16 representatives to the U.S. Congress. Each representative is elected by Ohioans living in one of 12 areas, or districts. But the lines of these districts are drawn in ways that include or keep out certain voters.
The result: Each district will always tilt toward one political party, choosing representatives of that party, time after time. District 4 has such a strange shape in order to include the precise mix of voters that will keep it tilting Republican.
Ohio redraws district lines every 10 years, and we have a once-in-a-decade chance to draw the districts in a way that lets every vote count. There are two very different plans in play.
The Fair Districts = Fair Elections plan, led by the League of Women Voters, would be a big step forward for democracy. A bipartisan commission would draw the district lines and would be required to keep communities together.
The other plan would keep our strangely shaped, tilted districts. Lima’s Matt Huffman is supporting that second option.
If you care about democracy, contact your state senator and representative and tell them to support the Fair Districts = Fair Elections plan. Make your vote count!
Maya Fischhoff
Ada
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
