Republicans seek to change Ohio electoral distribution

As one of the most sought after states during last year’s presidential election, Ohio has been a target of a GOP-led initiative to divide its Electoral College votes by congressional district.Although such a system is already in place in both Nebraska and Maine, some people are concerned that if this format were taken nationwide, it would work a little too conveniently for Republicans.When the electoral votes of last November’s election are factored into the altered format, Romney would edge out a victory despite lacking the popular vote. What is more, Republicans gerrymandered heavily when redistricting states following the 2010 census, making Democrats fearful of what might happen in 2016 if the Electoral College were to change.A version of such legislation has already passed the Virginia Senate Committee and may soon become law. Similar plans are being discussed in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio.However, as many Republican leaders continue to voice their opposition, it looks increasingly likely that the Buckeye State will remain winner-take-all.In an attempt to clear the air of any speculations, Governor John Kasich and House Speaker William G. Batchelder have both expressed through spokesmen their aversion to a proportioned Ohio electorate.Speaking to the press, Republican Secretary of State John Husted tried to put remaining doubts to rest, saying, "Nobody in Ohio is advocating this.”Though struggling to gain momentum, the movement to alter the Electoral College system has gained two influential benefactors in both Ken Blackwell, Ohio's former secretary of state, and Jordan Gehrke, a D.C.-based strategist.Both men see the current system as unfair, and while acknowledging the flaws of their proposition, each is willing to launch a substantial campaign to change the way the nation elects presidents.Contacting numerous Political Donors and conservative organizations, Blackwell and Gehrke are willing to go the distance in order to install measures that they believe will reduce voter fraud while forcing presidential candidates to campaign outside of battleground states.“We should have a system where the people running for president have to worry about what's happening in individual congressional districts. It brings government a lot closer to the people,” said Gehrke in an interview with The Atlantic.Although Gehrke claims that an altered Electoral College would not slant to the right as far as some believe, Zach Carter, The Huffington Post’s senior political economy reporter, would argue that the partisan advantages are beside the point.Speaking on a live blog, Carter said, “We’re talking about the number of votes determining who the president is, and systematically trying to discount those votes and saying if you happen to live in a city or near other people your votes don’t count.”