The Constitutional Modernization Commission, a panel of lawmakers and private citizens that will be asked to recommend changes to Ohio’s Constitution, is looking at the way the lines for legislative districts are drawn.
Secretary of State Jon Husted says that plan should be bipartisan and transparent to create districts that are compact and competitive. And that means lots of campaigning, political ads and robocalls.
“In the end, we’ll have more democracy. And more democracy is likely more expensive,” says Husted.
But University of Texas political science professor Tom Brunell told the Commission that data he’s analyzed suggests more competitiveness won’t mean more bipartisanship, and that diverse competitive districts aren’t as important as making sure candidates who want to win are responsive to voters.
“Your ideal district is you and then a whole bunch of other people that think exactly like you,” says Brunell.
Husted told the Commission members said he’d like to see a proposal on redistricting on next November’s ballot.