Why map your community?

Map with community selected

Mapping your community and identifying its shared interests allows public officials to take your community’s concerns into account during redistricing.

What is
redistricting?

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Every ten years, the United States draws new voting districts. District lines decide who votes for which representatives in local, state, and federal elections.

What is gerrymandering?

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Politicians have been splitting up or packing together communities into voting districts that silence their voices. Mapping your community of interest helps fight gerrymandering.

What is a Community of Interest?

A Community of Interest is a geographic area that shares cultural, historical, or economic interests.

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Your neighborhood
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People you want to choose representatives with
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A local group connected by an interest
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Redistricting in your state:

See community maps drawn in Ohio

In Ohio, for congressional districts, the Legislature must attempt to pass redistricting plans with bipartisan support. If this fails, then the task goes to a seven-member commission. This same seven-member commission is responsible for drawing state legislature maps.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Ohio’s state constitution requires that state legislative and congressional districts: 

  • be compact
  • be contiguous
  • preserve whole single counties
  • do not intentionally favor an incumbent or party (only for state legislative districts) 
  • have proportional partisan lean to statewide voter preferences (only for state legislative districts)

In the redistricting process, your state doesn't yet require consideration of communities of interest (COIs), but citizens can still present their own COIs to the redistricting commissions to advocate for fair representation. A community of interest is a population that shares cultural, historical, demographic, or economic interests. Communities of interest do not necessarily share the same political viewpoints or support for certain candidates or political parties.

See community maps drawn in Ohio