Ohio Supreme Court again rejects GOP-drawn congressional maps

The Ohio Supreme Court rejected a second Republican-drawn map of congressional districts after previously rejecting the state's first proposed maps on the grounds they favored the GOP.

Though the court ruled the second set of proposed district lines were fairer to the Democrats than the first, it still ruled 4-3 that they "unduly favored" the Republicans, according to the Epoch Times. The court gave lawmakers 30 days to redraw the maps yet again. The state's redistricting commission will have 30 days to create a new proposal should lawmakers fail to do so.

Primary elections have already concluded in Ohio along the lines of the now-rejected maps, so they will remain in place for the 2022 midterms in November, the outlet noted. The new maps, should they stand up to scrutiny, will apply to the 2024 election process.

The court in early January, ruled that the state's first submission was "invalid in its entirety because it unduly favors the Republican Party and disfavors the Democratic Party."

Ohio has 16 congressional seats, with Republicans currently holding 12 of them. Though the state has traditionally been considered a toss-up, it twice broke for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.