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Cutline for maps: Ohio’s new House and Senate districts are shown in the maps printed here. The new legislative districts go into effect at the beginning of 2003. A map with the new Congressional districts will appear in the Feb. 18 Buckeye Farm News.

There will be new state and federal legislative districts when voters head to the polls in Nov. 2002, all thanks to shifts in population within Ohio and from the Buckeye State to other areas of the nation.

Reapportionment – redrawing state legislative lines – and redistricting – development of new U.S. Congressional districts – are complete, according to Chris Baldwin, director of political education for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF).

The new legislative and district lines are necessary to reflect population changes generated from the 2000 Census.

"We’ll see significant shifts in legislative districts thanks to the reapportionment process," Baldwin said. "Cuyahoga County lost one seat in the Ohio House, and Franklin County picked up one, which reflects a shift of population from northeast to central Ohio. And the state’s rural districts are getting even bigger, which reflects shift of population to the metropolitan areas."

What does this mean for OFBF members? "I think the biggest thing we have to do now is learn our new districts," Baldwin said. "However, they won’t take effect until 2003, so our current representation stays in effect until the end of this year."