After overcoming multiple obstacles and delays, the backers of a proposal to change Ohio's political mapmaking system have finally received the necessary approvals to begin gathering signatures. Citizens Not Politicians, the organization behind the proposal, now has until July 3 to collect approximately 414,000 signatures in order to put their constitutional amendment before voters in November 2024.

The current Ohio Redistricting Commission, consisting of three statewide officeholders and four state lawmakers, would be replaced by an independent body directly selected by citizens if the proposal is successful. The new panel's members would be diverse in terms of party affiliation and geography, aiming to create a more fair and representative political mapmaking system.

The journey to this point has not been without its challenges. The proposal faced initial objections to its petition language from Republican Attorney General Dave Yost, resulting in delays. However, after the wording was certified, the Ohio Ballot Board unanimously cleared the measure in October. Unfortunately, organizers soon discovered a single-digit typo in a date, which forced them to restart the approval process. The measure has now been given the green light once again by the ballot board as a single issue.

The Citizens Not Politicians campaign is eager to begin circulating petitions in support of changing the redistricting process. Nadia Zaiem, a resident of Westlake, a suburb of Cleveland, is one of the motivated supporters who want to see a new way chosen for drawing Ohio's legislative and congressional maps. Zaiem believes that the current system allows politicians from both parties to disregard the will of their constituents, as they rely on a rigged system to ensure their reelection.

The need for change in the redistricting process is evident through the repeated failure of the existing structure to produce constitutional maps. Challenges filed in court during the recent redrawing of district boundaries, based on the 2020 Census results, resulted in the rejection of two congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps for being unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

With the July 3 deadline fast approaching, supporters of the proposal will be fanning out across the state to gather the requisite number of signatures. Their efforts will determine whether Ohio voters will have the opportunity to decide on a new and more equitable political mapmaking system in the upcoming November 2024 election.