Bay to Bay News: Commentary: Let’s keep redistricting in Delaware fair

The speaker’s commitment to a fair and transparent process is important, but we need to see action soon to ensure robust public participation.

The public must have a chance to provide input both before and after the maps are drawn. Before lawmakers put pen to paper, they should listen to community stakeholders about what issues are most important to them and how legislative districts are relevant to their everyday lives. For this to happen, public hearings must be widely publicized and held at a variety of times to maximize access. In addition, community advocates have worked with Fair Maps Delaware to create their own legislative maps. We hope the hearings will not only allow people to speak but that legislators will review these community-powered maps and integrate those ideas into their draft maps. …

… A transparent process is even more critical given today’s political climate. A recent survey finds that “nearly half of voters (48%) do not trust state legislators to draw new … voting districts” and that voter suspicion is shared across party lines, with 47% of Republicans and 42% of Democrats expressing distrust. …

Read the full commentary here.