EXPLAINER: Ohio Redistricting – How did we get here?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A redistricting delay of more than six months is impacting Ohio’s primary election. And it could end up costing Ohio taxpayers $20 million for a split primary.

News Center 7′s John Bedell explains why work that was supposed to be finished in the fall, is now dragging into spring.

>> EXPLAINER: Where Ohio’s redistricting map stands

Ohio’s redistricting saga has been a lot to take in. So, how did we get to this point?

First, people come and go and move around, which is why by law, every 10 years, Ohio redraws its maps for state Senate and House districts, along with its Congressional map.

The goal is to make sure each area of Ohio has the right representation in Columbus and Washington, D.C.

In order to change the maps, the state needs census data, and the U.S. Census is taken every 10 years.

The most recent data was expected in February 2021, but it was delayed six months because of the pandemic.

>> RELATED: Ohio Supreme Court rejects commission’s third set of redistricting maps, ruled unconstitutional

Ohio finally received the numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau in mid-August of 2021

Ohio’s seven-member redistricting commission got to work right away and one month later, they approved a set of new statehouse maps on a 5-2 party line vote. Republicans for the maps and the Democrats against them.

Then, opponents like voting rights groups and Democrats sued. In the ongoing legal battle, the Ohio Supreme Court has tossed out three sets of maps so far, saying they favor Republicans too strongly.

The commission tried a new approach for a fourth set of maps, hiring independent mapmakers. But the commission said the outside hires could not produce recommended maps by the March 28 deadline, so they tweaked the third set of maps and approved them.

Again, challengers have filed complaints against the fourth set of maps the commission came up with last month.

>> RELATED: Elections in limbo as redistricting litigation drags on

Ohio’s Congressional map is also at the center of a legal battle, but U.S. House candidates are on the May 3 primary ballot, and it looks like that map will be used this year.

Ohio lost one Congressional seat in the redistricting cycle because of the 2020 U.S. Census results. The number of U.S. House seats for Ohio was trimmed from 16 to 15.

Due to the delays, the Ohio House and Ohio Senate candidates are not on the May 3 primary ballot. That means there will need to be a special election – possibly in August.

Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, has estimated a split primary election could cost Ohio taxpayers $20 million.

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