It's official: Ohio redistricting amendment makes November ballot. What would it do?

It's official: Ohioans will vote on whether to remove politicians from congressional and statehouse redistricting this November.

Citizens Not Politicians, the group backing a redistricting amendment, submitted enough valid signatures to make the fall ballot, the Ohio Secretary of State announced Tuesday.

In total, 535,005 of the 731,306 signatures submitted were accepted, which was a validation rate of 73.2%. The group needed to clear at least 413,487 valid signatures from at least 44 counties to qualify for the November election. It cleared the required threshold in 58 counties.

“This certification is a historic step towards restoring fairness in Ohio’s electoral process,” said retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican who helped draft the amendment. “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.”

But the measure will face opposition. Ohio Senate Republican spokesman John Fortney said: "This campaign should be called political outcomes over people."

Amendment would end Ohio Redistricting Commission full of politicians

The proposed constitutional amendment would remove elected officials from drawing congressional and state legislative districts. Instead, a 15-member panel of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents would craft the maps.

Active lobbyists, political consultants and elected officials could not serve on the panel, which retired judges would help select. The new Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission would need to follow cerain rules, such as crafting maps that closely correspond to voters' statewide partisan preference and preserving communities of interest.

The proposed constitutional amendment comes after Ohioans overwhelmingly approved redistricting reform in 2015 and 2018. Those amendments put the mapmaking pen in the hands of lawmakers and statewide elected officials.

Between 2021 and 2022, Republicans held the majority of seats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission. The Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly ruled that Republicans crafted maps that unfairly benefited GOP candidates − a practice called gerrymandering. Federal lawsuits and an eventual bipartisan compromise led to the current maps.

More: Ohio voters wanted redistricting reform. They got unconstitutional maps

If Ohioans approve the citizen redistricting panel, the new commission will craft new maps for the 2026 elections. If voters reject the measure, Ohio's current maps will last through 2030.

What comes next?

By Aug. 22, the Ohio Ballot Board must approve the language that describes the redistricting measure on Ohioans' ballots this November.

Two Democrats and three Republicans, including Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, comprise the Ohio Ballot Board. They are not required to use the same language proposed by Citizens Not Politicians.

“We are confident that Ohio voters will see simple, accurate language when they go to the polls on Nov. 5 to vote for this amendment,” O’Connor said.

Proponents and opponents of the measure will also submit short explanations of what the constitutional amendment would do.

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio .

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: It's official: Ohio redistricting amendment makes November ballot. What would it do?