As the politicians sat at home on Tuesday waiting to watch the returns on another gerrymandered election, hundreds of citizens – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, rural, urban and suburban – showed up in force at polling locations across the Buckeye State to engage with their fellow citizens and gather signatures to end the insidious practice of gerrymandering.

“As someone who cares about the unique interests of my region, I’ve seen firsthand how gerrymandering fractures our communities and silences our voices,” said volunteer Ann Fabiszak Payne of Toledo. “I’m collecting signatures for the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment because I believe in an Ohio where every person’s vote is weighed equally, and where our districts are drawn fairly, not manipulated for political gain. It’s time for citizens – not politicians – to run the show.”

In Columbus, retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor joined volunteers at the Whetstone Recreation Center and spoke with voters about how gerrymandering contributes to political division and dysfunction:

“Ohio voters are smart. They understand that the politicians continue to impose gerrymandered legislative districts that are fundamentally unfair. We, the citizens of Ohio are done with it, and when we pass this amendment, we will look back on today as one of the last gerrymandered primaries in Ohio history. We are championing democracy and ensuring that each citizen’s voice contributes equally to our electoral system.”

In Cleveland, Democratic Mayor Justib Bibb joined volunteers and spoke with voters in his precinct at Old Stone Church on Public Square. The mayor emphasized the importance of fair and impartial legislative districts before casting his vote in the primary election.

“Today, voters across Ohio are once again voting on legislative contests in gerrymandered districts,” Mayor Bibb said. “It is great to see so many Clevelanders standing up for democracy by supporting the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment. We are taking a stand for democracy and ensuring that every voice is heard fairly in our electoral process.”

The nonpartisan group must collect over 413,000 valid signatures by July 3 to qualify for the November ballot.

Gerrymandering is when political boundaries are drawn to give unfair advantage, undermining fair representation and leading to political stagnation and ineffective policy. Ohio is recognized as one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation.

• The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:
• Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of Republican, Democratic and independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
• Ban current or former politicians, political party officials, and lobbyists from sitting on the commission.
• Require fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
• Require the commission to operate under an open and independent process.

For further details on the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment and how to support the initiative, visit www.citizensnotpoliticians.org.

The amendment and updated summary can be found at www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/petition.