A proposed constitutional amendment that would amend Ohio’s constitution by rewriting redistricting rules will be presented to voters on the November 5 general election ballot, the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office announced on Tuesday.
The proposed constitutional amendment would create the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission to ensure an “open and transparent process and fair outcomes that preserve the political power inherent in the people.”
The redistricting amendment has met the requirements under Ohio law to be placed on the November ballot, reaching 535,005 valid signatures in 58 counties.
The amendment will next be considered at a ballot board meeting that will be scheduled soon. https://t.co/FKrb3cyQuN pic.twitter.com/CbUS7K3DjP
— OHSoS (@OHSecofState) July 23, 2024
According to its 33-page proposal filed with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office last year, the constitutional amendment would “replace the current politician-run redistricting process with a citizen-led commission required to create fair state legislative and congressional districts through a more open and independent system.”
The commission would comprise 15 members – five Democrats, five Republicans, and five independents – and would not allow current or former elected officials from serving on the commission.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost deemed the proposed constitutional amendment “fair and truthful” on November 9, 2023, upon the proposal’s fourth submission.
At least 413,487 signatures are required for the proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the November ballot, equaling 10 percent of the total vote cast for the governor’s office during the last gubernatorial election.
In addition, those signatures must have been obtained from at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. In each of the 44 counties, signatures must equal at least 5 percent of the total vote cast for the office of governor in that county at the last gubernatorial election.
Since Yost’s approval, activists in support of the proposed constitutional amendment gathered 535,005 signatures in 58 counties to secure the proposal’s appearance on the November ballot.
Having been cleared by Yost’s office and reaching the signature requirements, the proposed constitutional amendment will now be considered at a future Ohio Ballot Board meeting to consider ballot language and title.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose chairs the Ohio Ballot Board.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Dave Yost” by Dave Yost.
