Ohio Court Ruling Makes 2012 Elections Uncertain

The Ohio Supreme Court's decision to allow Democrats to go ahead with their effort to repeal the new Republican-drawn congressional map leaves the 2012 elections uncertain. Congressional candidates must file petitions by Dec. 7 to run in districts that may not exist. If Democrats are successful in collecting enough signatures to put the GOP-drawn map at the mercy of voters in 2012, the districts it prescribes will be put on hold. A spokesman for Ohio's elections chief told The Cincinnati Enquirer that the ruling throws "a monkey wrench" in the filing deadline for presidential candidates as well. Democrats claim that the contested map favors GOP candidates, while Republicans say it was drawn according to all constitutional and demographic requirements. New lines are drawn every 10 years to reflect population change.