Imagine Illinois with Fair Maps that Take Politicians Out of the Game

Illinois has a problem that has been occurring in the decades since the adoption of the 1970 state constitution.  It’s called Gerrymandering and we can stop it.

Gerrymandering is when a political party gains an advantage during an election by manipulating the borders of voting districts. The goal is to maximize the effect of supporters' votes and minimize the effect of opponents' votes in order to gain or maintain power (in Illinois’s General Assembly).

Changing these borders is like moving the finish line in the middle of a race.

Political leaders own redistricting — the process of drawing legislative maps. Behind closed doors, they rig the district boundaries to control who will be elected, leaving voters without a voice. These same politicians choose their voters, instead of the people deciding who will represent them. Legislators have little reason to listen to the needs of Illinois residents, because there’s no way for voters to hold them accountable.  In 2012, Illinois House incumbents won 97 percent of their general election races; two-thirds of them did not even face a challenger.

Our proposed constitutional amendment would take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and give the power back to the people. This amendment brings independence to a broken, unfair, and secret process that gives politicians too much control.  We need to put the voters back in charge and our proposed system is transparent, nonpartisan and independent from the legislature.

Right now we are working to collect the signatures necessary to place the amendment on the November 2014 ballot. Petitioning will continue through April 17, 2014 and then Illinoisans will be able to vote for real change in state government on Nov. 4, 2014. 

Do you want to get involved?

Please reach out to us on our website: http://independentmaps.org/

“How drawing jagged lines can impact an election” TED presentation
http://goo.gl/Q5Fr7K

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