Ohio redistricting amendment will appear on November ballot

(The Center Square) – Ohio voters will get the chance in November to decide whether to remove the redistricting process from lawmakers and create an independent commission.

A group pushing for a constitutional amendment they say would remove politics from redistricting gathered more than enough signatures to put the question on the general election ballot. All that’s left is to figure out the exact ballot language.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced petitioners turned in 535,005 valid signatures from 58 of the state’s 88 counties. Only 413,487 signatures from 44 counties were needed.

The proposed amendment's next step is for the Ohio Ballot Board, chaired by LaRose and with a Republican majority, to write ballot language by Aug. 22.

LaRose has not announced when the ballot board will meet.

The initiative has broad bipartisan backing. Supporters say the amendment, which bars current or former politicians and lobbyists from district map decision-making, will prevent the political manipulation of district lines and ensure a transparent, impartial redistricting process.

It would replace the Ohio Redistricting Commission – which has seven members, five of whom are Republicans – with a 15-member citizens panel consisting of equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Politicians, including elected officers, political operatives, lobbyists and their immediate family members, could not serve.

Retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who helped write the amendment, has been a vocal supporter throughout the process.

“This support demonstrates that redistricting is not a partisan issue…[and] underscores that fair and transparent electoral districts are essential for a healthy democracy and that citizens want to be in charge of the process, not the politicians who have betrayed the public trust,” O’Connor said in a June statement.