COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio Supreme Court-ordered deadline for the state’s Redistricting Commission to submit a fourth version of legislative maps is Monday.

Wednesday night, the commission met with two mapmakers brought in to work on that set of maps, hopefully putting the process to rest after more than seven months.

The independent mapmakers hired by the commission will work out of the Ohio Statehouse and are expected to start that work Thursday.

University of Florida political science professor Dr. Michael McDonald and President of the National Demographics Corporation Dr. Douglas Johnson will be drawing the next set of maps which will determine who will represent Ohioans in the state Senate and House of Representatives.

Wednesday was their first commission meeting.

During that meeting, Republicans and Democrats brought their own proposals for rules the mapmakers will follow.

Eventually, the commission approved 24 rules, ranging from the computers and software that will be used to where they can work, how the public can watch the process, the role mediators will play, and who they can and can’t talk to about the work.

“We want them to start working as soon as possible, and so it’s kind of up to them, but they understand their time is very limited,” said Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp. “I think they’re willing to go to work and so we’ll see something tomorrow at 7. We’re expecting something, something tomorrow at 7.”

The commission’s next scheduled meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m.

“We’re hoping to have progress tomorrow,” said Ohio Sen. Vernon Sykes. “By tomorrow, some progress report. Probably not anything near a full map, but we’ve been told and have reason to expect that they will meet the timetable that we have before us.”

The mapmakers’ work will be livestreamed and there will also be a room at the Statehouse where the public can watch the work.

The rules for the mapmakers are:

  1. The map drawers shall include the two independent map drawers hired by the Redistricting Commission and Commissioners’ staff/contractor map drawers.
  2. The independent map drawers shall draft any General Assembly district plan at the direction of the Redistricting Commission and in accordance with the Ohio Constitution and Supreme Court of Ohio’s orders.
  3. The independent map drawers shall answer to each of the Redistricting Commission members. However, any conflicting direction from the Redistricting Commission members shall be resolved via the mediation process described below. (See Rules 12-16)
  4. The independent map drawers shall produce an entirely new general assembly district plan that has not been previously submitted to the Redistricting Commission. The independent map drawers shall not include or consider any general assembly plan proposals or work product produced prior to Wednesday, March 23, 2022 when drafting the entirely new general assembly district plan.
  5. The map drawers shall utilize statewide election results and geography from 2016, 2018, and 2020 for the purpose of measuring the partisan lean of individual districts.
  6. When considering the election results, Republican votes cast plus Democratic vote casts shall equal 100% of the total vote.
  7. Any General Assembly district plan shall be drawn in Maptitude.
  8. The independent map drawers shall utilize one computer purchased by the Redistricting Commission to draft any general assembly district plan. Two additional computers may be used for preparation purposes by the independent map makers on site.
  9. Racial data will neither be loaded onto the computers nor shall it be utilized by the map drawers in any way.
  10. The independent map drawers shall draw a general assembly district plan that conforms with the Ohio Constitution including Article 11, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the Constitution of the United States, and applicable federal laws.
  11. The independent map drawers shall draw a general assembly district plan that conforms with the opinions of the Ohio Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.
  12. Should the independent map drawers encounter a disagreement between themselves regarding the application of Art. 11 of the Ohio Constitution and/or the opinions of the Ohio Supreme Court, the issue shall be referred to the full Commission.
  13. Should the full Redistricting Commission reach a unanimous consensus, the independent map drawers shall implement the instructions of the full Redistricting Commission.
  14. Should the full Redistricting Commission not be able to resolve the issue by unanimous consensus, the issue shall be referred to mediation.
  15. Should mediation fail to resolve the issue, the issue shall be presented to the full Redistricting commission for a vote. A majority vote of the Commission shall resolve the issue.
  16. The map drawers will then implement the decision of the Commission regarding the disputed issue.
  17. Upon adoption of a general assembly district plan the independent map drawers shall complete and file with the Secretary of State, a geographical legal description of each House and Senate district, shape files, equivalency files, and county population and filing location for the most populous county in each district, and any applicable Art 11, Sec. 5 Senate assignments in a manner requested by the Secretary of State within ten days.
  18. The independent map drawers agree that they have been hired by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and as such, they owe a duty of fidelity to the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Accordingly, the independent map drawers shall not discuss or communicate with any person, organization, or group – aside from the Ohio Redistricting Commission and the Commission members’ staffs—regarding any aspect of the substance of any redistricting plan. Failure to abide by this requirement may result in the immediate termination of the independent map drawer’s contract along with all available remedial measures caused by the independent map drawer’s breach of their duty of fidelity to the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
  19. The meetings of independent map drawers will be held in Room 116 in the Ohio Statehouse. This will be the designated work space for the independent map drawers. No materials shall be taken off site.
  20. The Statehouse’s Ohio Government TV will livestream the map making process in Room 116. OGT will stream the map drawers whenever they are working in the room.
  21. Commissioners or their designated staff shall have unlimited access to the map drawers, but
    shall contact both Dr. McDonald and Mr. Johnson simultaneously.
  22. The independent map drawers will provide regular progress updates to the Commission at
    each of the Commission’s scheduled meetings.
  23. Commissioners can expect to provide feedback and guidance to the independent map
    drawers in these meetings in addition to their individual outreach to the independent map
    drawers as provided in Rule 21.
  24. Public access will only be available in a nearby room where video from the work room will be broadcast.