Voters are the losers in current map process

The Daily Herald published two articles about redistricting on its June 22 Opinion page: Maryam Judar from the Citizen Advocacy Center bemoaned mapmaking in DuPage County, while a piece by Jim Slusher tackled the congressional map drawn in Springfield. Both the letter and the op-ed correctly identified the “process” as the problem.

The U.S. Constitution gives the power of redistricting to states. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Eldridge Gerry, was governor of Massachusetts in 1810, and his political party was unpopular at the time. After the census of 1810 was completed, Gov. Gerry’s party creatively drew the district boundaries to hold onto power. One of the new districts looked like a salamander; hence the word gerrymandering was born 200 ago.

We go through the same process every decade. Partisan politicians, who have the power, will legally undermine democracy and tamper with our electoral system. Gerrymandering is not unique to DuPage County or Illinois. In DuPage, it has historically been Republicans arguing with Republicans about the map. In previous cycles in Illinois, we have seen the “winning map” drawn from a hat. The loser is always the voter.

The League of Women Voters has made efforts to engage citizens on the issue of redistricting in the county and state. We championed a Fair Map Amendment, which would put the redistricting process into a bipartisan commission. We have testified before Senate and House Redistricting Committees and sponsored educational forums. We continue to call for openness, transparency, accountability and citizen participation. The process must be changed before the next census, or as Maryam Judar wrote, “The same themes will be inked again next redistricting cycle if in the interim the citizenry do not demand reform of the process so that the next remap is responsive to citizens concerns.”

Missey Wilhelm

League of Women Voters of Wheaton