The League of Women Voters believes that people should choose their politicians, not the other way around.  By the time 2020 US Census figures are made public, state and national political parties will have shifted into high gear.  Voting districts for elected representatives at all levels of government will be reapportioned based on the shifts in population reported by the census, but time is short and 2022 primary elections will be coming up. 

The League of Women Voters of Solano County (LWVSC) invites interested Solano citizens to learn more about how this process works, why their input matters, and what actions Solano citizens can take to help decide how politicians who represent Solano County are chosen.  On April 29, the League's "People Powered Day of Action," LWVSC will be hosting two events, one Member Only event with Helen Hutchison and a Public Event Carol Moon Goldberg, both leaders of the California League, speaking about people power and redistricting. 

 

 

Hutchinson will speak to LWVSC members about their role in bringing "communities of interest" into the process. 

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86257835575?pwd=bmZ0R1JoNzZpTGlFY0tlOXZ5T2tyUT09

Meeting ID: 862 5783 5575

Passcode: 08181920

 

Goldberg will explain what redistricting is, why it's important, what the California process will be, what "communities of interest" are, and how community members and organizations can begin to prepare for the drawing of congressional and state district lines. The focus will be on helping galvanize the public for the coming redistricting process and learn how to make their issues and priorities known when the redistricting process gets underway.

 

LWVSC will live stream Goldberg’s presentation on the LWV Solano County YouTube channel: Click LWV Solano YouTube Channel or copy and paste this link in your browser https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsWzzfO8WOe8GB1HCn6FvQ.

 

During and after the 2010 census, the State of California took redistricting for state offices out of the hands of politicians, creating an independent 14-person redistricting commission (5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 commissioners with no party affiliations). After the 2010 passage of Prop 20, the commission was also given the job of redrawing US Congressional district boundaries. 

 

There's still plenty for interested Californians to do to equalize voting rights here, however.  The League encourages Solano citizens to apply to be members of the California Commission, or to share information about issues and inequities: the Commission welcomes public input from voters and residents.  Citizens are also encouraged to examine local redistricting priorities, and to support the For the People Act, which establishes fair redistricting practices for the nation. 

 

If you think important issues are ignored in redistricting, communicate with the politicians who represent you about why and how to address them. Talk to friends and family about why redistricting and reapportionment (and VOTING!) matter. The more people pay attention to redistricting, the more pressure there will be to draw fair district maps for fair elections at city, county, state and federal levels. 

 

"Neither race, party nor zip code should determine whether our voices are heard," says Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, President of the National League of Women Voters.  However, in many states, a trifecta holds power: all 3 branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial) are controlled by the same political party.  In that case, parties seek to create voting districts to prolong that control, as Dr. Turner points out.  Understanding reapportionment and redistricting enables citizens to choose the politicians they want to represent them. An example of the "other way around" is gerrymandering. In 1812, Elbridge Gerry, Governor of Massachusetts, lent his name (unwillingly) to the practice, when he mapped a salamander-shaped voting district in order to minimize support for a Federalist opponent.  It worked locally, but Gerry's Democratic Republicans lost statewide.  However, gerrymandering is still alive and kicking: take a look at Ohio's "Lake Erie Monster" district, or Pennsylvania's "Goofy Kicking Donald Duck."  And locally, for decades our own California third congressional district (including parts of Solano County) meandered from the North Bay to the Eastern Sierra. Redistricting according to ethnic/cultural, political, geographic and economic differences leads to misshapen districts that resemble those cartoon characters and fantastic creatures. 

The League of Women Voters is working to change the process in states where voting rights are still awarded by elected politicians.  Fortunately, California isn't one of them.