Citizens Not Politicians Redistricting Reform Amendment Qualifies for November Ballot
Voters will decide in November whether to overhaul Ohio’s system of drawing political district maps after state officials said Tuesday the campaign had collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Citizens Not Politicians, the campaign group backing the amendment, needed to get 413,487 signatures, including a minimum number from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Tuesday the group had exceeded that goal, turning in 535,005 signatures while exceeding the minimum requirement in 58 counties. The campaign submitted more than 731,000 signatures, giving it a validity rate of about 73%.
If approved, the measure could usher in sweeping political changes in Ohio by reducing the power majority Republicans have had for decades to draw their own political district lines. Supporters of the amendment have described it as a way to take self-interested politicians out of the process, and say it will produce more competitive districts that will make elected officials more responsive to and representative of average voters.
“This certification is a historic step towards restoring fairness in Ohio’s electoral process,” retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican leader of the campaign backing the amendment, said in a prepared statement. “With this amendment on the ballot, Ohioans have the chance to reclaim their power from the self-serving politicians who want to stay in power long past their expiration date while ignoring the needs of the voters.”