The League of Women Voters of Rogue Valley is sponsoring an educational forum on redistricting, featuring the President of the League of Women Voters of Oregon (LWVOR), Norman Turrill, and Candalynn Johnson, LWVOR’s Campaign Coordinator. The forum will take place on Thursday, November 8, 2018, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Medford Main Library, Main Meeting Room. The public is invited to this free event that includes Q & A. Coffee and cookies will be served.
The LWVOR and LWVUS have positions on redistricting that call for a reform. The League supports reforms that focus on the lines, not the politics. Our goal is to change who draws the district lines. Our aim is to increase transparency and public participation in the redistricting process, clarify the requirements of where district lines are drawn, and close the loopholes in our current system by refining redistricting criteria and requirements.
We favor the creation of an independent redistricting commission with strict criteria for drawing district boundaries, which would require an amendment to the Oregon Constitution. This reform aims at limiting gerrymandering because when legislators have control of where the lines are drawn, as they do now, we have a system where gerrymandering can take priority over fair representation.
The redistricting forum is a space where voters can learn and ask questions about our current redistricting process, how it impacts elections here in Oregon, and what reform could look like. This is a space to talk about how the League is moving forward in advocating for fair representation, competitive districts, and a system that prevents abuse. This forum is a part of a larger statewide effort of the LWVOR’s commitment to educate voters on issues that impact them.
As State League President Turrill says, “Voters should be choosing their representatives, not representatives choosing their voters.”
