Proposal to create a new political mapmaking system in Ohio qualifies for November ballot

A proposal to change Ohio’s troubled political mapmaking system has qualified for the November ballot. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state's elections chief, said Tuesday that Citizens Not Politicians had submitted 535,005 valid signatures in 58 counties, well over the roughly 414,000 needed to make the ballot. The campaign submitted more than 700,000 petition signatures on July 1. The group’s amendment aims to replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission with an independent body selected directly by citizens. Their bipartisan campaign follows fierce disagreements and multiple court battles over the state's current maps.