Guidelines for Drawing Districts

General Guidelines for Drawing General Assembly Districts

*Note: These guidelines are meant to serve as helpful tips to consider when drawing your map. They are not meant to be official rules or instructions. For official requirements, please refer to Article XI of the Ohio Constitution.

Guideline #1 Deadline for Apportionment

a) The apportionment SHALL be published no later than October 5, 2011

Guideline #2 Ratios of Representation

a) The entire population of the state (11,536,504) SHALL be divided by 99, and the quotient SHALL be the ratio population of representation in the Ohio House of Representatives

i) Population per District = 116,530

b) The entire population of the state SHALL be divided by 33, and the quotient SHALL be the ratio population of representation in the Ohio Senate

i) Population per District = 349,591

Guideline #3 Population of House of Representatives Districts

a) In no event SHALL any House district contain a population less than 95% (110,703), nor more than 105% (122,357), as determined by Guideline #2 (a)(i), except in instances where the population of a whole county is not less than 90% (104,877) or more than 110% (128,183) of the ratio determined by Guideline #2 (a)(i), then reasonable effort SHALL be made to create a House district consisting of the whole county

Guideline #4 Population of Senate Districts

a) In no event SHALL any Senate district contain a population less than 95% (332,111) or more than 105% (367,071) of Guideline # (b)(i)

Guideline # 5 Each House of Representative and Senate district SHALL be entitled to a single House member and a single Senate member

Guideline #6 Once the boundaries are established they SHALL not be changed until the ensuing decennial census

Guideline #7 House of Representatives Boundary Lines

a) Districts SHALL be compact and contiguous, and each district SHALL be a single non-intersecting continuous line to the extent consistent with Guideline # 3 (a), lines of districts SHALL be drawn as to delineate an area containing one or more counties

b) When Guideline # 3 (a) cannot feasibly be attained by forming a district from whole county or counties, such district SHALL be formed by combining governmental units in the following preference:

i) Counties
ii) Townships
iii) Municipalities
iv) City Wards

c) When Guideline #7 (b) cannot feasibly be attained by combining the governmental units, only one such unit can be divided into two districts, giving preference for the unit of division as follows:

i) Township
ii) City Ward
iii) City
iv) Village

d) In establishing new districts, current district boundaries SHALL be adopted to the extent reasonably consistent with Guideline #3 (a)

Guideline #8 Number of House of Representatives Districts Within a County

a) A county having at least one House of Representatives ratio (116,530) SHALL have as many House of Representatives districts wholly within the boundaries of the county as it has whole ratios of representation – any fraction of population in excess of a whole ratio SHALL be part of only one adjoining House district

Guideline #9; See Guideline #3

a) Standards prescribed in Sections 3, 7, 8 and 9 SHALL govern the establishment of House districts, which SHALL be created and numbered in the following order, to the extent the order is consistent with the foregoing standards:

i) Each county containing population substantially equal to one ratio of representation (116,530), but in no event less than 95% (110,703), nor more than 105% (122,357) SHALL be designated a district
(1) Wayne

ii) Each county containing population between 90% (104,877) and 95% (110,703) or between 105% (122,357) and 110% (128,183) MAY be designated a representative district
(1) Allen
(2) Columbiana
(3) Richland
(4) Wood

iii) Preceding in succession (largest to smallest), each remaining county containing more than one whole ratio SHALL be divided into House districts any remaining territory within such county containing a fraction of a whole ratio SHALL be included in one representative district by combining it with adjoining territory from outside the county
(1) Cuyahoga (10)
(2) Franklin (9)
(3) Hamilton (6)
(4) Summit (4)
(5) Montgomery (4)
(6) Lucas (3)
(7) Stark (3)
(8) Butler(3)
(9) Lorain (2)
(10) Mahoning (2)
(11) Lake (1)
(12) Warren (1)
(13) Trumbull (1)
(14) Clermont (1)
(15) Delaware (1)
(16) Medina (1)
(17) Licking (1)
(18) Greene (1)
(19) Portage (1)
(20) Fairfield (1)
(21) Clark (1)

iv)The remaining territory of the state SHALL be combined into representative districts

Guideline #11 Senate Boundary Lines

a) Senate districts SHALL be composed of 3 contiguous House districts.

b)A county having at least one whole Senate ratio (349,591) SHALL have as many Senate districts wholly within the boundary of the county as it has whole ratios of representation – any fraction in excess of a whole ratio SHALL be part of only one adjoining Senate district

c) Counties having less than one Senate ratio (349,591), but at least one House ratio (116,530), SHALL be part of only one Senate district