Local League of Women Voters collect signatures to put anti-gerrymandering amendment on November ballot

A steady stream of cars moved through Elyria's West Park Recreation Center, all stopping to sign petitions in hopes of seeing a constitutional amendment to the state's redistricting process on the November ballot. Volunteers from the Lorain County chapter of the League of Women Voters hosted the drive-thru signature drive 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. League President Deb Cocco said the group had been gathering signatures since December. "The one big question we always get it 'Haven't we done this before?'" Cocco said. "And the answer is yes, twice. However, the politicians took control and selected the districts rather than the other way." The effort, part of a statewide coalition of bipartisan groups including the League of Women Voters and American Civil Liberties Union, hopes to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in the general election to change the way Ohio's district maps are drawn. The nonprofit, nonpartisan Citizens Not Politicians is spearheading the effort. Ohio's current state legislative and congressional districts are redrawn by a political redistricting commission. Ohio's Statehouse maps were declared unconstitutionally gerrymandered five times by the Ohio Supreme Court. The coalition's proposal would replace the Ohio Redistricting Commission with a 15-member citizen commission made of five Democrats, five Republicans and five independents representing different geographic areas in the state, all chosen by a bipartisan panel. The commission members could not be lobbyists, politicians or party officials, Cocco said. Signatures are due July 3. The coalition's goal is 700,000 signatures. The required number is just shy of 414,000 certified signatures to get on the ballot. If the issue moves forward this summer, it will need a simple majority of votes to pass in November. Ahead of the summer deadline, League of Women Voters volunteers will be out with petitions at several Lorain County events including: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 11, First Church Oberlin's Spring Community Festival, 106 N. Main St., Oberlin. 6-8 p.m. May 16, Vermilion Third Thursdays in downtown Vermilion. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 24, at the Lorain County Bicentennial, 601 Broad St., Elyria. 6-8 p.m. May 25, outside Rockin' on the River at Black River Landing, Lorain. noon to 2 p.m. May 25, at the Norwalk Strawberry Festival. 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 27, at the Elyria Memorial Day Parade in Ely Square, Elyria. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.