A Newfound Power: How the Ohio Supreme Court Should Approach the Next Partisan Gerrymander

Authors

Bradley DavisFollow

Document Type

Note

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Publication Citation

98 Indiana Law Journal 999

Abstract

Partisan gerrymandering is a practice as old as the nation itself and a problem both state and federal courts continue to struggle with. In 2015, the people of Ohio overwhelmingly voted to amend the state constitution to prevent overly partisan outcomes in state legislative redistricting. Following the 2021 redistricting cycle, the Ohio Supreme Court narrowly struck down several redistricting proposals in what devolved into a protracted fight with legislators and executive officials. This Note carefully lays out the development of redistricting jurisprudence, Ohio’s relevant constitutional provisions, and various state and federal judicial approaches to alleged gerrymanders. Using a combination of these judicial approaches, this Note makes two suggestions for how the Ohio Supreme Court can better adjudicate future partisan gerrymanders.

Recommended Citation

Davis, Bradley (2023) "A Newfound Power: How the Ohio Supreme Court Should Approach the Next Partisan Gerrymander," Indiana Law Journal: Vol. 98: Iss. 3, Article 8.
Available at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol98/iss3/8