SB 5 will be on November ballot

It’s official: Senate Bill 5 is headed to the November ballot, giving Ohio voters the final say on the controversial collective bargaining package that drew thousands of protesters to the Statehouse during legislative deliberations earlier this year.

County elections boards verified and Secretary of State Jon Husted certified 915,456 signatures from about 1.3 million submitted on petitions by opponents of the new law.

The results, announced by Husted’s office Thursday, were nearly three times the number needed to qualify for the general election.

Cuyahoga and Franklin counties topped the state in terms of valid signatures submitted, with 131,625 and 104,301, respectively. Summit County had the fifth-highest signature total, with 42,362. Mahoning County was No. 7, with 31,251, followed by Stark County with 29,235.

The Ohio Ballot Board will meet next month to finalize the Senate Bill 5 language to be presented to voters.