More Rigged Elections?

from Mother Jones
by Nick Baumann
Fri. Dec. 7th 2012

GOP Resurrects Plan to Rig Electoral College
..."now that Romney has been defeated, prominent GOPers are once again mulling rule changes that could make it harder for Democrats to win the White House—and easier for Republicans to claim Electoral College votes in states where they lose the popular vote.........

Not just Ohio

To put it another way, President Barack Obama won 53 percent of the votes in Pennsylvania but Democrats could win only 28 percent of the congressional seats. 

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/map-manipulation-gerrymandering-had-the-last-word-in-election-663917/#ixzz2E5btkvLU

Joe Hallett: Gerrymandering pushes General Assembly to the extremes

".....The day started when the Ohio Supreme Court continued its decennial complicity in a gerrymandering scheme that makes a mockery of representative government.....

Fix redistricting? Sure, but how?

by Jim Siegel The Columbus Dispatch Nov. 19, 2012
...."With the defeat of state Issue 2, an effort to turn over Ohio’s redistricting process to a citizens commission, attention now turns to what elected leaders are going to do to fix a system that many in both parties have agreed is broken.....
Sidebar:
Brennan Center for Justice makes variety of suggestions.

Keep hope alive in Ohio

Process of drawing legislative and congressional maps may change

By  Jim Siegel The Columbus Dispatch Monday November 12, 2012 

"..... over and over again, opponents of the redistricting plan, be they Republicans or editorial-page writers, noted that their opposition was not based on the belief that the current system of drawing legislative and congressional districts is good.

In fact, most acknowledged that it remains badly in need of an overhaul." 

“It is an outdated process that is leading to a toxic political environment, because everybody is so partisan,” Husted said. .....

Slate.com

  It’s Appalling that Gerrymandering Is Legal 

And if the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act, it’s going to get a lot worse.


"The maps are amazing: Ohio and Pennsylvania, states that went blue for Barack Obama, have congressional delegations that are heavily red. As David Weigel pointed out Wednesday, the maps show how gerrymandering saved the Republican majority in the House. ".........

Ohio Voting Map - Home

Ohio Fights Grotesque Gerrymanders
Daily Kos Aug. 6, 2012 by hungeski

quote from this article:

.....In 2010 Republicans again gained control of the three state offices. But these are today's Republicans, abusers of power that turned the U.S. Senate filibuster from exception to routine, and that took the nation to the brink of default. These Republicans stretched the gerrymanders to their grotesque limit, as we have seen in the 4th and 9th districts, and can see in the full 2012 map

But a citizens' backlash has arisen to fight the grotesque gerrymanders,...."

Ohio Fights Grotesque Gerrymanders

Issue 2 backers say GOP mailer is false

Issue 2 backers say GOP mailer is false

blank check for the commission, how commission members are chosen, how commission members could be removed are part of Voters First complaint filed with the Ohio Elections Commission over Issue 2.


Please vote Yes on issue 2

Library of Congress unveils new bill-tracking site

Library of Congress unveils new bill-tracking site to replace THOMAS - The Hill's Hillicon Valley Congress.gov offers a host of improvements over the old service. The site is now accessible on mobile devices and features live and archived video

of floor debates. 

How Republicans handled redistricting last year in OH

Ohio Republican Party Lied to Reporter During Secret Redistricting Process

from this item:
"Over the next few months you’re going to hear a lot of distortion and misinformation coming from Republicans about the redistricting reforms being proposed by Issue 2 / Voters First, but the main question you need to ask is this:  do you want an independent panel of citizens drawing competitive districts?  Or a bunch of partisan hacks hiding in secret bunkers and drawing gerrymandered districts that favor their own party – all while lying to the press?
PlunderBund (http://s.tt/1nALx)

Ohio Needs Redistricting Reform

Mike Curtin on Why Ohio Needs Redistricting Reform

F.A.Q. about Issue 2

F.A.Q.

If you can, print this one page q&a about the redistricting reform amendment you will be voting for in November. Make a copy for a friend or neighbor while you are at it.

Primary winners and losers list

More Republican lawmakers than Dems defeated in 2012 primary season - The Hill - covering Congress, Politics, Political Campaigns and Capitol Hill | TheHill.com


article by Emily Goodin  Sept. 16, 2012 The Hill
... With the nominating season wrapped and the general election begun, here's a final list of the lawmakers who lost, retired, or resigned in the 2012 cycle......

Follow This

The Voting Wars | Election Law Blog

Rulings in Texas against discrimination

Last Tuesday, a panel of federal court judges ruled that new district maps drawn by Texas' Republican-controlled legislature weakened the influence of Latino voters and in some cases evinced "discriminatory intent" against both Latinos and African Americans. Two days later, another panel of federal judges ....... read more...
Five Ways Courts Say Texas Discriminated Against Black and Latino Voters - ProPublica

Let Voters Have One Husted

Husted bars local election officials from setting early voting hours pending appeals court decision | cleveland.com


SOS Husted as a resident of OH I am asking you to stop the appeal of the early voting case. Your party has asked the court to reversel a decision that clearly favored voters. I think you and your party should be happy with that decision.

Ohio Voters Issue 2 Information

The ins and outs of redistricting

With the fight over Issue 2 starting up, here’s what to know for Nov. 6

by Jim Siegel Sept 3, 2012 Columbus Dispatch

Redistricting plan not one for all

The Columbus Dispatch by Jim Siegel Aug. 12, 2012
   Redistricting plan not one for all


 The effort to change the way we design our legislative and congressional districts in Ohio will go forward with a ballot initiative in November.
We already know the current gerrymandered system is unfair to a large part of our population.
 As a Democratic voter in a gerrymandered Republican district I feel as if my vote doesn't count except for statewide issues. Local issues and candidates are always decided by the huge mass of Republican voters in my district. I'm not a lawyer but I think gerrymandering is a form of voter suppression.

 According to this Columbus Dispatch story (see above link) one reason Republicans oppose this ballot is because the new law will create an "unaccountable panel"

 An unaccountable panel is what we have had all these years. Its time to bring about a better way to draw our districts. I hope voters will vote yes.

Ohio's Redistricting amendment

By Joe Hallett Columbus Dispatch Monday August 6, 2012 8:43 PM Redistricting amendment certified for Ohio's fall ballot

 By Jo Ingles Statehouse News Bureau
Fight is on to get Ohio voters to change way lawmakers' district lines are drawn



This is our best chance for better elections. Vote YES please.

2 pairs pairing up for competitive districts in Ohio

Rep. Ted Celeste, D-Grandview Heights, has teamed with Rep. Mike Duffey, R-Worthington, and Sens. Frank LaRose, R-Fairlawn, and Tom Sawyer, D-Akron...will seek.... a new system for drawing districts that would require bipartisan votes to approve any new map.

By  Jim Siegel

The Columbus Dispatch Monday February 27, 2012 

4 lawmakers redraw redistricting

Pair from each party seek a compromise

I wish my vote mattered to the Ohio Dem leaders

Found this on The Daily Beast.com
The rigged system of redistricting is quietly reaching new lows of collusion and cronyism in states across the country......Lawmakers Pledge to Reform, But Gerrymandering Keeps Getting Worse
written by John Avlon  Feb. 19, 2012

Here in Ohio my new CD will be #15 after 2012. For the Nov. 2012 election I live in CD #7. The Ohio Republican Party worked out some kind of deal with the Ohio Democratic Party in order to avoid two primaries in 2012 (and also kill the referendum idea the Democrats had). Its a down right dirty rotten shame Ohio voters did not have the opportunity to vote on the matter. So we go another 10 years with our local votes not counting, and our CD votes being useless. The only vote I can cast that might help a candidate is President, Governor and Senator. And some say even those votes are rigged somehow.  

Read all about it on Cleveland.com in several articles written by Aaron Marshall 

Ohio lawmakers reach deal on congressional redistricting and single primary election (updated)

Watching Gerrymander

On Feb. 17, 2012 Google search results:

gerrymandering  = 313,000 results

gerrymander  =  1,250,000 results

end gerrymandering  = 907,000

end gerrymander  = 596,000