As the nation grapples with its legacy of racism and how to move toward a just society, the right to vote and be fairly represented becomes even more critical.

In Oregon we have an opportunity to reform how voting districts are created and reduce the risk of gerrymandering. During June you can sign an initiative petition for the November ballot that would create an independent commission to draw state and federal legislative districts after the 2020 census.

Boundaries are drawn by the Oregon Legislature or, if it fails to act, by the secretary of state. In other words, politicians, not voters, create the districts that elect them. This is a conflict of interest that has often resulted in gerrymandering. The initiative replaces politicians with a committee of Democratic, Republican and Independent voters.

A coalition of groups, including the Eugene Springfield NAACP, League of Women Voters and Oregon Farm Bureau are leading this effort. If you received a petition in the mail, follow the instructions for signing and mail it in the postage-paid envelope. If you didn’t receive the petition, get one at peoplenotpoliticiansoregon.com. Signing the petition is one important, concrete thing you can do to strengthen voting rights.

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You are probably overwhelmed with our collective need to make our communities, cities, states and nation better and safer. In the midst of the ongoing fight against racial injustice, economic chaos and the pandemic, I ask you not to forget the need to fix our broken election system. Every state needs to tackle the problems created by gerrymandering, which allows the politically most powerful to draw the lines that shape our voting districts, which is how the people who represent you are voted into power. We need to take this power away from the politically most powerful in an effort to create a fair election process. Without this, your vote, your voice, your candidates can be effectively silenced. This has happened across the country.

Here in Oregon, and other states, we are fighting back. Please go to peoplenotpoliticiansoregon.com, read about the issue, then print, sign and mail in a petition designed to get Proposition 57 on the November ballot (you can also ask to have a petition sent to you). Proposition 57 would create an independent non-partisan commission to draw new voting maps for Oregon. I am a volunteer with Common Cause Oregon, one of a number of organizations working to get Proposition 57 on the ballot. Fundamental to the cause of justice is having representatives who believe in the cause of justice. Please help. Make sure your voice and vote count.

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