CASE SUMMARY

On February 18, 2022, a group of Ohio voters filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio’s Secretary of State and the Ohio Redistricting Commission challenging the state’s 2010-cycle legislative redistricting plan as unconstitutionally malapportioned in violation of the 14th Amendment’s one person, one vote requirement. Plaintiffs also alleged, citing the Ohio Supreme Court’s ongoing rejections of Commission-adopted legislative plans as violating the state constitution, the state’s failure to have a properly apportioned plan in place yet infringed upon their right to vote in violation of the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses, as well as their freedom of association under the 1st Amendment. They sought a judicial declaration that the 2010-cycle plan, and lack of a new plan, was unconstitutional, an injunction barring the 2010-cycle plan from use in future elections, and a court order setting a schedule for adopting a new, lawful legislative plan and implementing the Commission’s second legislative plan (adopted on January 22, 2022) for interim use in the 2022 election.

  • On March 14, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio stayed the case to allow the Ohio Supreme Court time to review and issue its decision on the constitutionality of the Commission’s second legislative plans. After the Ohio Supreme Court rejected that plan as unconstitutional, the court lifted the stay on March 18, 2022, and appointed a three-judge panel, stating that the redistricting impasse between the state’s political branches made it necessary to hear the plaintiffs’ claims.
  • On April 20, 2022, the court enjoined the state’s 2010-cycle legislative plans from future use and gave the State a May 28, 2022, deadline to adopt properly apportioned legislative plans. If the State failed, the court stated it would impose the Commission’s third legislative plans for interim use in the 2022 elections, after which the State would be required to adopt properly apportioned plans.
  • On May 27, 2022, with no legislative plans being approved by the State and Ohio Supreme Court, the court issued an order requiring the State to implement its third legislative plans (adopted on February 24, 2022) for the 2022 elections only and moving the state’s primary election to August 2, 2022.
  • On March 24, 2023, the court issued an order dismissing all remaining motions in the case as moot on the grounds the 2022 elections were over and no issues remained for the court to address.

Related Cases: League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Ohio Redistricting Commission; Bennett v. Ohio Redistricting Commission; Ohio Organizing Collaborative v. Ohio Redistricting Commission

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division - No. 2:22-cv-773