Today for the only free hours I had, I stood in front of our only polling place (for a town of 3500- we don't really need two), encouraging people to pass a constitutional amendment for an independent redistricting commission.
It being a small town, one of the people I talked to is someone I know personally, who (reasonably) asked why the state Dems were against it. ("They don't want their power diluted, but I don't want gerrymandering, and the text requires appointments be half-and-half Dem/Repub", I said.) After I left I went and read their statement, which, along with the state NAACP, boils down to "But we might get less of what we wanted if there was fair redistricting, and the NAACP wants to have districts gerrymandered the way it wants.")
I also discovered, to my deep disappointment, that the local Republicans are exhorting people to vote for the amendment. I hate agreeing with real jerks and had a brief moment of doubt: am I doing the wrong thing? But I truly do think this is the way to go and that fair maps are good for everyone.
Elections, man.
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