The “People Not Politicians” initiative would put an independent citizen commission in charge of redistricting in Oregon. That means that a balanced group of citizens – instead of partisan politicians – would design the maps of election districts. Passing this initiative would protect the rights of voters to elect representatives who truly speak for them. This is because it would prevent gerrymandering the districts. Gerrymandering separates groups of voters with similar values and interests, which decreases their voting power. This initiative also calls for the commission to hold ten public hearings to hear people’s comments about their plans.
Tag: redistricting
Redistricting Forum – Preventing Gerrymandering
LWV of Oregon Redistricting Forum
Our Redistricting Forum was held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.
See http://redistrictingmatters.org for more information about redistricting in Oregon. The 2020 U.S census is coming and so is the 2021 redistricting process. At the forum we learned about problems in our redistricting process now and proposals for fixing them.
We heard about our current process, how it affects elections in Oregon, and what reform could look like. We learned about a new way to allow voters to elect representatives who truly represent the will of the people in their district.
What Kind of REform Do we need?
The League wants to put the process of redistricting back into the hands of voters. We believe voters should be choosing their representatives—not representatives choosing their voters. We can do this by amending the Oregon Constitution to create an independent redistricting commission.
Guest Speaker: Candalynn Johnson, LWV of Oregon Redistricting Reform Campaign Coordinator, will talk about why the League supports reform.
For questions about the forum please contact Candalynn Johnson, at Candalynn@lwvor.org. You may also visit the redistricting reform website at: www.redistrictingmatters.org.