Citizens Not Politicians reported that more than 731,000 signatures were submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, clearing a major obstacle to the state’s plan to reform the state’s redistricting process by replacing politicians with a citizens’ commission.
The group, which wanted a citizens’ redistricting commission to be introduced as an amendment to the Ohio Constitution, needed to collect 413,487 signatures by July 3 to qualify for the Nov. 5 general election. That number represents 10% of all votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, the threshold required by state law for referendum initiatives.
Ohio also requires petitions to receive at least 5% of the vote in at least 44 counties. Citizens Not Politicians said it has done so in 57 counties, while also collecting signatures in all 88 counties in the state.
At a rally celebrating the signatures Monday, retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor told a crowd of hundreds in the Statehouse atrium that the initiative had collected the third-largest number of signatures the state had seen in more than a century. She said it was “one of the most citizen-supported constitutional amendments in Ohio history.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me let you in on a little secret,” she told supporters who attended the rally. “This amendment will pass. We will prevail.”
The signatures will now be verified by the Secretary of State’s Office to filter out any duplicate or invalid voter signatures before the final results are released.
O’Connor joined the redistricting reform effort after serving as chief justice of the Supreme Court that rejected six different maps adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, a commission of elected officials.
The current seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission includes the speaker of the Ohio House and the speaker of the Ohio Senate, as well as the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, and two minority party legislative leaders. If approved by voters, the amendment would replace the political commission with the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, which would have 15 members, five corresponding to the political party of the governor at the time, five from the party of the gubernatorial candidate who received the second-highest number of votes in the most recent election, and five independent members.
The latest district map adopted by the current commission was approved by the state’s highest court after O’Connor left due to age restrictions, and Republican Judge Sharon Kennedy took over as chairman.
Ohio’s commission-approved map of congressional districts was also found to be unconstitutional, but opponents decided to drop their legal battles to focus on redistricting reform.
Representatives of all levels appeared at the rally and in connection with its organization, from representatives of educational and nursing organizations to bricklayers and religious leaders.
Maria Montanez is a member of Building Freedom Ohio, a group within the Ohio Organizing Collaborative that works with residents who have had contact with the criminal justice system.
Montanez said she is a convicted felon but served her prison sentence while earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“When I got out of prison, I wasn’t given a fair chance,” Montanez said. “Even though I got out with recognition and prepared myself to be a productive citizen in the community, I’m still seen as a criminal.”
I want to see changes in collateral sanctions in Ohio and believes that changing voting rules and making voting districts representative can assist achieve this goal.
“There are tons of people who look like me, feel like me, and are living in the same civil debt that I am living in today,” she said.
Changing the way voting districts are drawn could assist provide more funding for public schools and make fair partisan representation a reality, rather than manipulating the map to assist incumbents stay in power, said David Spanos, a school nurse in Cleveland.
“I don’t think Ohio would be a Republican state if it weren’t for gerrymandering,” Spanos said.
Cincinnati resident and salon owner Desirae Futel works demanding to assist her clients learn where and when to vote, and how their vote will impact policy changes.
“Gerrymandering has long silenced communities like mine, but today we can change that,” she told the crowd.
Once the signatures are submitted, a campaign begins to encourage voters to vote in support of the initiative. According to O’Connor, that strategy includes fighting back against those who oppose the modern redistricting plan.
“They will conspire and spread disinformation in an effort to muddy the waters and mislead voters,” she said.
But if the motivation expressed in the Capitol atrium rubs off on other Ohio voters, Montanez said the votes will go their way.
“What drives us is the number of people, the capacity, not just one person,” she said.
