Ohio Constitution Article XI - Apportionment
Ohio Constitution – Article XI: Apportionment deals with the redistricting of legislative districts within the state. It was substantially revised in 2015 and 2018 to increase fairness, transparency, and reduce gerrymandering.
Here’s a summary of Article XI's key provisions:
🔹 1. Purpose
To create compact, contiguous, and politically fair legislative districts for the Ohio General Assembly (House and Senate).
🔹 2. Redistricting Process
Occurs every 10 years following the federal census.
Applies to Ohio Senate and House districts, not U.S. Congressional districts (handled in Article XIX).
🔹 3. Ohio Redistricting Commission
A 7-member commission is responsible for drawing legislative districts.
Members include:
Governor
Auditor of State
Secretary of State
One person appointed by each of the legislative leaders from both major parties (House and Senate).
🔹 4. Rules for Drawing Districts
No district shall be drawn primarily to favor or disfavor a political party.
Districts must be:
Compact
Contiguous
Compliant with federal Voting Rights Act.
Political subdivision boundaries (like counties or cities) should be respected when possible.
🔹 5. Voting Requirements for Adoption
If the commission reaches bipartisan agreement, the map lasts 10 years.
If passed without minority party support, the map lasts only 4 years and must be redrawn sooner.
🔹 6. Judicial Review
The Ohio Supreme Court has jurisdiction to review and invalidate district maps that violate Article XI provisions.
🔹 7. Transparency & Public Involvement
The process includes public hearings, access to draft maps, and written explanations when maps are adopted.
🔹 8. Timeline
Final maps must be adopted by September 1 of the year ending in "1" (e.g., 2021, 2031).
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