PROJECT 2030

A Permanent End to Gerrymandering - Weighted Voting

88 House Districts

44 Senate Districts

Ohio currently has 99 Ohio House Districts

Ohio currently has 33 Ohio Senate Districts

Weighted Voting

Weighted Voting

Every County becomes a House District

Every Two Counties becomes a Senate District

How Weighted Voting Would Work in the Ohio House

In this proposal, every Ohio county becomes its own House district. Each district elects one representative, but not all representatives cast identical votes when the full House votes to pass or reject a law. Instead, each representative’s vote is weighted by the population of their county, so that larger counties have proportionally more influence without drowning out smaller counties.

Here’s how it works step-by-step:

1. Base Vote: Every county gets one full vote—no exceptions.

2. Extra Weight for Population: For every 100,000 people beyond the first 100,000 in that county, the representative gains an additional 1.00 vote.

   • Example: A county with 310,000 people would have 1 (base) + 2.10 (extra) = 3.10 votes.

   • A county with 95,000 people would still have 1.00 vote, never less than that base.

3. Fractions Count: Votes are measured to two decimal places, so counties just over the 100,000 mark still gain a slight boost.

   • Example: A county with 120,000 people would have 1.20 votes.

Committees vs. Floor Votes

Inside committees—where bills are drafted and refined—every representative still casts exactly one vote. Weighted voting only applies on the House floor when the full chamber decides whether to send a bill to the Governor or override a veto. This ensures small counties still have an equal say in shaping legislation, while the final passage reflects Ohio’s population distribution more accurately.

How Weighted Voting Would Work in the Ohio Senate

Under this plan, the Senate still has 44 members, one for each two-county district. But when the full Senate votes to pass a bill or override a governor’s veto, each senator’s vote is weighted based on the population of their district—just like in the Ohio House.

Here’s how it works step-by-step:

1. Base Vote: Every Senate District gets one full vote—no exceptions.

2. Extra Weight for Population: For every 100,000 people beyond the first 100,000 in that Senate District, the Senator gains an additional 1.00 vote.

   • Example: A Senate District with 310,000 people would have 1 (base) + 2.10 (extra) = 3.10 votes.

   • A Senate District with 95,000 people would still have 1.00 vote, never less than that base.

3. Fractions Count: Votes are measured to two decimal places, so Senate Districts just over the 100,000 mark still gain a slight boost.

   • Example: A Senate District with 120,000 people would have 1.20 votes.

Committees vs. Floor Votes

Inside committees—where bills are drafted and refined—every Senator still casts exactly one vote. Weighted voting only applies on the Senate floor when the full chamber decides whether to send a bill to the Governor or override a veto. This ensures small counties still have an equal say in shaping legislation, while the final passage reflects Ohio’s population distribution more accurately.