Network partners in Ohio launch redistricting competition

Today Citizen Action Ohio and League of Women Voters Ohio, along with the Midwest Democracy Network, announced the launch of the 2011 Ohio Redistricting Competition.

From the press release: “The Redistricting Competition provides the public with the opportunity to draw district lines for the Ohio House and Senate, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives, using publicly available software and the same population and voting data that will be used by Ohio public officials.”

The maps will be judged based on four objective criteria (preserving county boundaries, compactness, competitiveness, and representational fairness), and the winning maps will be submitted to the Ohio Apportionment Board and Ohio Legislature. The winners will also be eligible for up to $5000 in cash and prizes.

For more information on the competition, please read the press release from today, and visit DrawTheLineOhio.org for additional rules and links to the public software.