League of Women Voters host petition drives on gerrymandering

Make a difference. The League of Women Voters Glenview-Glencoe members are circulating petitions to put a constitutional amendment on the November 2016 to fix gerrymandering in Illinois.

The General Assembly has the power to draw the maps. Gerrymandering is when state legislators intentionally draw district boundaries to strengthen the power of those already in office and improve that party's chances of winning as many House and Senate seats as possible. Instead of voters selecting legislators to represent them in Springfield, the legislators choose which voters they will represent.

The League has joined the Independent Maps coalition to secure 600,000 signatures throughout the state. The coalition is headed by such notables as Dennis FitzSimons, chairman of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Hon. Jim Edgar, Hon. Sheila Simon, Harrison I. Steans and Peter Bensinger who spoke at the Glenview community meeting on redistricting in July.

This nonpartisan coalition has so far collected 210,000 signatures. By obtaining 600,000 signatures, the coalition will meet and surpass the requirements to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot.

League volunteers have already been to the Glenview Farmers Market and the Art Fair in July collecting petitions signatures. Going forward you will find them at the Glenview Jewel on Patriot Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 15-29, and in downtown Glencoe, Sept. 5, 12, and 19, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the corner of Park and Vernon avenues. Future dates for Northbrook are in development. Stop by, any registered Illinois voter can sign.

If you have questions or want to make arrangements to sign a petition, or you or your organization would like to join the petition process, call Jane at (847) 204-5266 or email contact@lwvg4@hotmail.com.

For more information on the league, visit glenview.il.lwvnet.org or lwvglencoe.com.