Letter to the Editor 8/19

Editor:
Gerrymandering (the process of drawing voting districts to favor one political party over another) has been proven in Pennsylvania. In 2018, the state Supreme Court found that Republicans then in charge had drawn congressional districts in 2010 to disadvantage Democrats, who won only five of 18 seats despite winning slightly more than half the statewide vote. That definitely isn’t fair districting!

If you would like your voice heard during the 2020 redistricting process that is currently underway in Harrisburg, you as a resident can ask for fair redistricting (rather than having it controlled by either the Democratic or Republican state committees). Despite a mostly closed door process, you can submit written, video or in person testimony.

If, like me, and like 71% of Pennsylvanians who believe gerrymandering eats at the soul of our representative democracy, please take a moment to ask the legislators in their chambers who’s drawing theses maps, what criteria are they using, when can the public see and comment on them, and why are they cutting cities and counties into weird shaped pieces?

You may submit comments on State Legislative Districts at redistricting.state.pa.us
And your Federal Districts at RedistrictingPA.com

Kathleen O’Connell
Lemont, PA