Ohio is required to redraw the congressional map ahead of the 2026 election because the current, gerrymandered map didn’t receive bipartisan support when it was passed into law in 2021. According to Ohio law, if a congressional map that is enacted is not bipartisan, it can only be used for two election cycles, meaning the new map must be enacted before the 2026 election. Read on to learn more about redistricting and how you can get involved.  

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Redistricting At a Glance

• Ohio is required to redraw the congressional map ahead of the 2026 election because the current, gerrymandered map didn’t receive bipartisan support when it was passed into law in 2021. 

• That’s right, the current congressional map is so gerrymandered that it failed to receive the support of a single Democrat in the Ohio General Assembly. 

• Despite this gerrymandered map, Democrats have consistently recruited strong candidates and overperformed, winning the two most competitive congressional seats in the state in the last two elections. 

• Now, Republicans are trying to rig the system by drawing a congressional map with no competitive seats, to ensure that their party picks up additional seats in the next election, to help them protect their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

• They can’t win a fair election so they’re cheating the system. 

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Get Involved 

• Call your state legislators to demand that fair maps are drawn. 

  • Find your state legislators here: https://findmydistrict.ohiosos.gov/

• Sign up to volunteer with Congresswoman Sykes’ campaign to tell your friends and neighbors about what is happening in Ohio.  

• Donate to Congresswoman Sykes’ campaign to ensure she has the resources to win.

• Follow Congresswoman Sykes’ on social media for the latest updates. 

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • Twitter 

• Post on social media to share the latest updates on redistricting. 

Redistricting FAQs

Who draws the districts? 

• Ohio General Assembly
   

Required Bipartisan Vote 

• ⅗ of members of each chamber of the General Assembly (60 members in the House and 20 members in the Senate), including at least ½ of Democrats (17 in the House and 5 in the Senate) and ½ of Republicans (33 in the House and 12 in the Senate) represented in each chamber. 
   

Deadline to Adopt a Plan 

• September 30, 2025
   

Impasse Procedure 

• If no plan is adopted by 9/30/25, the decision is kicked to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which must adopt a plan by a bipartisan vote by 10/31/25. 

• If the Ohio Redistricting Commission fails to adopt a plan with bipartisan support by 10/31/25, then the General Assembly must adopt a plan by no later than 11/30/25. 

• If the General Assembly adopts a plan by only a simple majority vote, it is subject to additional criteria and the plan must be replaced after four years. 
   

District Standards Considered 

• Contiguity 

• Boundary must be a single nonintersecting continuous line

• Compactness 

• Keep counties, municipalities, and townships whole, when possible 
   

Additional District Standards Required If Map Isn’t Passed with Bipartisan Support 

• The plan must not unduly favor or disfavor a political party of its incumbents.

• The plan must not unduly split governmental units, giving preference to keeping whole, in the order named, counties, then townships, and municipal corporations. 

• The General Assembly must attempt, but is not required to draw districts that are compact. 
   

Legal Challenges 

• The Ohio Supreme Court has exclusive, original jurisdiction in any challenge. 

• Requires that if a plan, district, or group of districts is ruled unconstitutional, the General Assembly must adopt a new plan within 30 days after the appeal deadline expires or after the order is issued, if it is not appealable. 

• Requires the Ohio Redistricting Commission to adopt a plan not later than 30 days after the General Assembly’s deadline, if the General Assembly misses the deadline. 

• Requires the new plan to remedy any legal defects, but to include no other changes. 

 

Notable Dates 

• 9/30/25: Deadline for the General Assembly to adopt a redistricting plan with the requisite bipartisan support 

• 10/31/25: Deadline for the Ohio Redistricting Commission to adopt a plan with bipartisan support

• 11/30/25: Deadline for the General Assembly to adopt a plan – without bipartisan support, this plan can only be used for four years

• 2/3/26: Filing Deadline 

• 5/5/26: Primary Election 

• 11/3/26: General Election