Elections board director says map dispute could delay primary
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Jan. 24th, 2022) – Tuscarawas County voting officials say the holdup over approving new state legislative maps could delay the spring’s primary.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission has now for a second time approved new state House and Senate boundary maps from 2020 census data without bipartisan consensus. The Ohio Supreme Court rejected the initial maps. Tuscarawas County Board of Elections Director Gail Garbrandt says we could find out within a few days if these are being thrown out too.
“I would think if they reject the current maps that were submitted on Saturday, then I think we probably really seriously have to look at moving the date of the primary election.”
Garbrandt says for now the filing deadline for statewide office races remains February 2nd, but the filing deadline for those state House and Senate candidates is in question.
“It creates a lot of anxiety here because we have a timeline of things that have to be done by certain dates according to the Revised Code.”
She says the primary, for now, is still on for May 3rd.
“It’s just putting everyone kind of on needles and pins to see what the legislature is going to do.”
Garbrandt says the Ohio Association of Elections Officials has informed the legislature it would prefer to have the primary no later than May 24th, if it has to be moved back.
Dawn Thomas
January 24, 2022 at 9:34 pm
Well stop redistricting our community to fit your own self centered needs, to get votes from WHO , WHERE YOU WANT ! This is exactly what is wrong with this country making it harder and harder for the average person to VOTE!! STOP IT IM A VOTER AND HAVE VOTED EVERY YEAR SINCE 18 yrs old, AND I WILL NOT CONTINUE AT THE AGE 60 YEARS OLD TO VOTE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION REDISTRICTING IN THIS COUNTRY! Governor DeWine don’t you think your party has done ENOUGH OF THIS!!!