On Election Day, New Yorkers have a rare opportunity to enact meaningful reform to our state’s corrupt redistricting system, so it is disappointing that Proposition 1 opponents such as Steven Stowitts Elliott (“The cynical art of gerrymandering,” Sept 25) are attempting to fuel cynicism and muddy the facts about the proposed amendment.
Prop 1 creates a commission free from conflicts of interest that will divide the state into fair districts based on specific criteria. Prop 1 bans partisan gerrymandering by outlawing the drawing of legislative maps for political advantage. It also creates safeguards that ensure the Legislature cannot drastically alter any plans created by the commission.
Mr. Elliott claims the state “already has a bipartisan redistricting panel.” But, unlike the commission created by Prop 1, the existing panel consists of a majority of sitting legislators. Prop 1 ends the status quo of legislators directly drawing their own lines.
And, while Mr. Elliott cited a recent ruling to strike the word “independent” from the amendment, this does nothing to change its substance and the critical reforms it will put in place.
The need for immediate reform cannot be clearer. In 2012, 97 percent of incumbents won re-election thanks to the current rigged system, creating an environment in which lawmakers are not accountable to voters. On Election Day, we urge New Yorkers to look beyond the cynicism and vote for progress by voting Yes on Prop 1.
Sally Robinson
President, League of Women Voters of New York State
Albany