Every ten years, political district boundaries in the United States are redrawn in accordance with the Census. Changes in population distribution or growth mean that the boundaries of your local legislative district must change too. The politicians elected in November to the State Legislature will be tasked with redrawing these boundaries, and conventional redistricting processes take into consideration factors like geography, local economy, political preference and demographic make-up, among other factors.
The trouble is, since the districts are drawn with the approval of the majority party, that party can draw the lines in their favor, to create more safe seats. This is called political gerrymandering, and it often results in a state legislature that is not representative of the people they serve. Gerrymandering happens in two main ways, by "packing" people who prefer the opposite party into one district to minimize the seats they can challenge, or by "cracking" those voters apart, putting them in different districts with low enough numbers that they would not be able to challenge the majority party.
Initiative Petition 57 would change that process, and instead leave the redistricting process up to an independent redistricting commission made up of 12 Oregon voters. The panel would have four Democrats, four Republicans and four registered voters who don't have a party affiliation.
KBOO's Jenka Soderberg breaks down the ballot measure with Kate Titus of Common Cause.
- KBOO