The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, held its annual conference virtually last week. The Foundation is a group of former state politicians and community leaders who advocate for people of color in Ohio. At the event, speakers voiced concerns about the uptick in voter suppression bills that have been introduced across the country.
Eric Holder, former US Attorney General and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, says how state legislative maps are drawn this fall may have a big impact on the future of voting rights.
“Gerrymandered districts prevent voters from being able to elect the candidate of their choice, and it prevents politicians from having to listen to their voters,” said Holder.
Greg Moore is a member of the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission, an organization collecting community input to be used in the mapmaking process. At the event, he said Ohioans are eager to take a larger role in redistricting.
“Over and over, participants show that they want to be part of the process of choosing their representatives, not the other way around,” said Moore.
Next week, the state’s official redistricting body Ohio Redistricting Commission will hold ten public hearings at different locations across Ohio. At the meetings, citizens will be able to give testimony and input on the maps.