Ohio is in the process of redrawing U.S. Congressional districts, along with Ohio’s House and Senate districts. An Akron Press Club panel will discuss the process and what it means for voters at a virtual program Wednesday, September 22, at noon.
The panelists are:
- Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. Miller also is on the board of the Ohio Debate Commission, the Ohio History Connection and Kids Voting Ohio.
- Rich Exner of Cleveland.com. Among Exner’s areas of expertise are U.S. Census data and elections.
Districts for those who represent Ohio are redrawn every 10 years following the release of the U.S. Census. Based on the 2020 census, Ohio will lose a House seat, going from 17 to 15 representatives.
A 2019 Associated Press analysis found that Ohio is among the most gerrymandered states. Under gerrymandering, one political party creates state and congressional districts that give that party an unfair political advantage. Ohio voters have approved two constitutional amendments designed to curtail gerrymandering.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission is tasked with redrawing Ohio’s districts.
The Akron Press Club has not been able to hold traditional lunch programming during the current pandemic. Funds from these lunches go toward scholarships for journalism and public relations students. Please consider a donation to the Akron Press Club to fund scholarships. You can donate by following the link on the registration page for this event.
Speaker: Redistricting panel.
Date: Noon, Wednesday, September 22, 2021
To register for this free virtual event: Go to https://conta.cc/3hzwsba
To donate to Press Club scholarships: Go to https://bit.ly/370g0eZ
Upcoming Press Club programming:
- Jeff Woytach of Cleveland’s NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, October 1, noon.
- University of Akron Law School panel: October 20, noon.
- State of the University of Akron, Dr. Gary L. Miller: November 16, noon.
The Akron Press Club was founded in 1971 to promote a free press and serve local journalists and public relations professionals. The group has a rich heritage of offering newsmakers a forum to discuss issues of the day at Press Club luncheons and speaking events that are open to the public. The club also funds scholarships for journalists and public relations students.