Yesterday marked the first official hearing in Ohio’s 2025 redistricting process, which will determine how our congressional districts are drawn for the next decade. And while the stakes are high, even lawmakers seemed uncertain about the very rules they wrote.

Why This Matters

Ohio’s Constitution requires lawmakers to redraw our congressional districts this year. The current map, adopted in March 2022 without bipartisan support, expired after the 2024 elections. That means the 2026 elections will take place under brand-new maps.

Here’s the catch: under Ohio law, maps passed without bipartisan approval are temporary. This time, a new map must be finalized with support from both parties by the end of September.

The Rules - Written by the Legislature Itself

According to the Constitution, the legislature must:

1. Propose a map.

2. Hold at least two public hearings.

3. Pass the map with bipartisan support by September 30.

These are the very rules crafted and championed by House Speaker Matt Huffman and the Republican-led legislature.

If lawmakers fail to agree, the responsibility shifts to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which will have until October 30 to pass a bipartisan map. If that also fails, the process returns to the legislature, which is supposed to retry a bipartisan compromise before resorting to a party-line vote.

Public Pressure is Growing

Ohioans aren’t sitting on the sidelines. Last week, hundreds of people surrounded the Statehouse to demand fair maps, and dozens showed up yesterday to testify. The message is clear: voters want districts that truly represent their communities, not ones rigged to protect politicians.