Many years ago as a county committeeman I participated in developing a redistricting plan. You couldn’t keep the politicians away. I was young and naive. I made the mistake of trying to include input from the voters. I wasn’t ask to participate again. In fact my service ended my little political career.
When it comes to redistricting there are only politicians and voters. The politicians will always do their dead level best to select their own voters. Everybody wants a safe district.
Of course they do. That is exactly why they can’t more than minimally involved…
Oh no!!! It’s those jackbooted stormtrooper browbeaters again!
Gerrymandering, the real voting fraud crisis in the land.
Don’t entirely love the Colorado version – will withhold judgement until we see what “unaffiliated” really means.
That was our answer to the issue of Independent registration …
There is actually an Independent Party …
So those that did not want to be in a party at all would make the common
mistake of registering Independent and find themselves locked into one —
We created the ’ unaffiliated ’ option for those people —
They truly are … independent —
That’s cool – a real “none of the above” option. What concerns me is more malice aforethought. Let’s say, for example, that someone who is a committed, well-funded activist for one of the established parties (or even a group of same) re-registers as unaffiliated, navigates all the hoops for applying to be part of the commission, and then – by complete and utter coincidence – votes reliably with the member of the party with which they were former registered. Only because those are the people producing the most nonpartisan map, you understand…
There will be safeguards …
For one, changing registration leaves a trail …
I don’t think playing that game will be allowed …
those sitting on the commission will have to be ’ established ’ —
two … not saying they might not try … but changing up to get a
seat for the purpose of weighting decisions will be reflected in
one’s personal record ---- I don’t think many would want to risk that
showing up as a smudge —
And … true ’ independents ’ sitting in on partisan workings
will be a ’ check ’ … on both sides —
I think it’s a good move forward … and in the least … it has
to be better than the process they’re engaging in now ----