Voters First Ohio in the Home Stretch

I'm not really entirely sure what is going on with the Voters First Ohio effort to place the constitutional amendment on the ballot to replace partisan redistricting with a nonpartisan citizens commission. I know we were told that July 4 is the day the signatures have to be turned in, and I've been hearing "Last chance! Last chance!" (I'm still trying to figure out who to turn my petitions into).

Yet all of a sudden less than a week ago, an email pops up recruiting paid circulators — just as the petition drive is ending. I don't know if this means we are close to turning in the 385,000 and they are looking for people to go out and collect another batch of signatures as buffer against the ones likely to be found invalid or duplicates (As long as you turn in the 385,000 by the deadline you can keep collecting while the signatures are being validated).

Anyway, it's getting close to the deadline, so if you haven't signed the petition yet, please do. Below are some locations and signing opportunities. For more information on Voters First Ohio, go to

Downtown Cleveland Rally and Signing, Thursday June 28:
Free Stamp, East 8th & Lakeside. There will be free refreshments, DJ music and "free gifts," whatever those are. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. If you can't stop, they will bring the petition to your car.

Also Cuyahoga County Democratic Headquarters at 1466 St. Clair Ave. in Cleveland will be open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. for signing Thursday June 28 and Friday June 29.

Hamilton County Democratic Headquarters, 6109 Webbland Place, Cincinnati, will have petitions and will be open Saturday afternoon as well. Call 513-421-0495 for information.

Franklin County has the following signing locations:

Thursday, June 28, 6-8:p.m.
New Albany Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, 200 Market Street, New Albany.

Friday, June 29, 10 a.m.-noon
Worthington's N.W. Library, 2280 Hard Road, Columbus (a few blocks east of the Sawmill Road intersection)

Saturday, June 30 9-noon
Old Worthington Farmers' Market, High Street in Old Worthington.

Saturday, June 30 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Karl Road Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, 5590 Karl Road, Columbus.

Will add more as I hear about them.