On Wednesday, we joined with business leaders, nonprofit organizations, students, retirees, and many more, united in an effort to establish an independent redistricting process for North Carolina.
NC Policy Watch provides an overview of the main problem in North Carolina elections: gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral boundaries to favor one party or class — it’s often discussed in the context of lawmakers using race or politics to draw maps that ensure their election.
Right now, the political party in power gets to draw our state’s voting districts every ten years. This has created legislative voting districts that look more like an abstract painting: random, blurred lines that have gone as far as splitting an actual college campus in half.
This week, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced House Bill 200. Similar to bills filed in previous legislation sessions, it would require an independent, nonpartisan body to follow specific guidelines to draw voting districts. One key element missing that would be missing: lawmakers. The actual design of election maps would be done outside the confines of the General Assembly. Then the maps would be sent to legislators for approval.
You may be wondering: why does an environmental advocacy organization care about redistricting reform?
When it comes to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the quality of life for North Carolina citizens, we at the NC League of Conservation Voters know that who we elect matters.
Unfortunately, partisan politics have fractured our democratic foundation, resulting in fewer people participating in the process. When people feel like their votes don’t matter, who can blame them?
Specifically, gerrymandered legislative districts make it nearly impossible for voters to elect candidates who share their values for pollution-free air, safe drinking water, and investments in renewable energy.
Furthermore, gerrymandered voting districts do not give voters the opportunity to hold their leaders accountable. This is a core component of our democracy: we, the people, decide who will be our voice at the decision-making table. And, if they are not serving our best interests, we can hold them responsible at the ballot box.
We recognize that our elected leaders have a great deal of power when it comes to shaping the policies that will impact our quality of life and our environment.
Because of this responsibility, we call on our North Carolina leaders to put the best interests of voters first and create an independent redistricting process for our state moving forward. North Carolina voters deserve fair, transparent elections.
Ensuring the health and well-being of our natural resources, our families, and our economy are all interconnected. North Carolina voters deserve to have a say, each and every election, in who will represent their values and ensure a cleaner, healthier future for all.
