Ohio’s Citizens Not Politicians amendment has been approved for the November ballot! This measure will end a system in which politicians and lobbyists in Ohio manipulate voting districts to protect their own power. It will create a new citizens redistricting commission that prohibits political insiders from participating, bans partisan gerrymandering, and puts the needs of Ohio communities at the center of redistricting.

The campaign submitted 731,306 signatures, 535,005 of which were valid, for an impressive overall validity rate of 73.2%. Fifty-eight counties were certified as having more than 5% of the previous gubernatorial vote –14 more than the 44 required.

This is a tremendous accomplishment! Congratulations to the Citizens Not Politicians campaign, Common Cause Ohio, and all the volunteers who collected signatures or helped out in other ways since signature collection first started almost a year ago. Also, we would like to thank anyone who made a donation to support the work.

What’s next? The Ballot Board must convene by August 22 or 23 to propose ballot language and give the amendment an issue number. Voter registration closes on October 7, and Early Vote starts on October 8, culminating on Election Day, November 5.

The hard work of gathering signatures paid off, but there’s still a lot more to be done. Common Cause Ohio needs to spread the word to all Ohio voters about the problems with gerrymandering and the “Citizens Not Politicians” solution. If you haven’t signed up to volunteer yet, please join us by filling out this form.

This November, Ohioans will have a historic opportunity to end gerrymandering in the state once and for all.

Read past issues here.