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Akron Beacon Journal...
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October 24, 2011 

Ohio Democrats are moving ahead with a petition drive to put congressional districts just drawn by Republicans on the ballot in November of next year. Few doubt the party can gather sufficient signatures by Dec. 26, which would put the districts on hold until the state’s voters decide their fate. 

As Democrats gathered signatures, Republicans responded by postponing primaries for U.S. House races and the presidential race to June, allowing time for new districts to be drawn. 

Republicans fumed that the referendum strategy could result in federal judges taking up the task of drawing new lines. In truth, Democrats, shut out of power in the legislature, had little choice but to take the egregious redistricting bill to the ballot after Republicans tilted the playing field heavily in their favor for the next decade. 

The Republican plan for a split primary promises an expensive mess. It would leave in place a March primary for local and state races, plus the U.S. Senate race, costing taxpayers $15 million and creating unnecessary confusion for voters (although likely making it harder for Democrats to recruit candidates to challenge the Republican legislative majorities). Delaying the presidential primary (necessary because delegates to party nominating conventions are elected in congressional districts) would erase any hope for clout in selecting the Republican nominee. 

Fortunately, most of these issues could be resolved if Republicans work with Democrats on a compromise bill for congressional districts that reflects the competitive nature of Ohio elections. That process begins with tossing aside the Republican effort to maximize partisan advantage. 

The work is not as difficult as it might seem. Injecting an element of bipartisanship into drawing new political boundaries after each census long has been urged by Jon Husted, once a Republican lawmaker and now secretary of state. More, the League of Women Voters and other independent groups already have held a congressional redistricting contest that awarded points for the essential elements of a deal, providing a template for compactness and political competitiveness. 

If both sides get down to work, a single primary in May (its usual time in years without a presidential race) is one possibility. In terms of nominating clout, the damage would be slight, even a March primary likely too late in the currently front-loaded process. A single June primary would be preferable, as in 1992 under similar circumstances. 

Legislative leaders started talks late last week, but the discussion stalled over the weekend. It’s time to get back to the job. 

Read this and other articles at the Akron Beacon Journal

 

 

 



 
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