Let's break down what's happening.

ACLU Supporter –

If you want a clear lesson in partisan gerrymandering, what's happening in Ohio's redistricting process is it. The ACLU is already taking legal action.

Yesterday, we – along with our Ohio affiliate and Covington & Burling LLP – filed a lawsuit challenging Ohio's newly drawn maps for state House and Senate districts that give an extreme and unfair advantage to the Republican Party.

This is our first legal challenge of the nation's current redistricting cycle, but – as states continue determining new district maps in this once-in-a-decade process – it will likely not be our last.

Let me break down exactly what's happening:

* In 2015, an over 70% majority of Ohioans approved a constitutional reform specifically to stop endemic partisan gerrymandering in the state's General Assembly.

* Last week, the Ohio Redistricting Commission – dominated 5 to 2 by Republicans – approved new maps that lock in a Republican veto-proof supermajority in both chambers of the General Assembly. This is in blatant defiance of the 2015 reform.

* Over the past decade, Republicans have received between 46.2% and 59.7% of the statewide vote. But these newly enacted maps draw an overwhelming 67% of the House districts and 69% of the Senate districts to favor Republicans.

* Not only is this a brazen abuse of power, but it's a clear violation of the Ohio Constitution. That's why we're going to court.

ACLU Supporter, gerrymandering like Ohio's is a dangerous political practice that harms communities across the country – particularly communities of color – diminishing people's representation and voting power for the next 10 years.

Too many lawmakers in the past have used redistricting in this way to manipulate electoral boundaries and influence future elections. This isn't how democracy works – and we can't allow it to happen once again. We must defend fair representation for all of us.

The redistricting process takes place over a narrow window of time, which gives us only months to push back. So please stay alert in this urgent fight ahead and thank you for sticking with us.

For our democracy,

Alora Thomas-Lundborg
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Senior Staff Attorney, Voting Rights Project, ACLU

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