League joins Community Partnership of the Ozarks to sponsor June 29 map meeting
Once each decade, maps based on U.S. Census results determine how many people represent us in Washington D.C. and how many Electoral College votes Missouri gets. The census also impacts voting districts for state representative and state senate seats, and how many federal dollars come to our area.
In spite of the power these maps have, the process of redistricting usually happens behind closed doors and out of reach for most citizens. On June 29, that changes.
The League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri and Community Partnership of the Ozarks invite citizens to take part in a nonpartisan process, creating examples of fair maps using new technologies, the internet and the Missouri Open Mapping project.
The Map Your Community program will take place Tuesday, June 29, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at O’Reilly Center for Hope, 1518 E. Dale St., Springfield. The maps created that night will go to a team at Tufts University charged with creating examples of “fair maps.” These examples will be provided to the public and to the people re-drawing Missouri’s legislative districts in the fall.
The goal is to increase public input in the drawing of legislative maps. These maps matter because they determine who has a voice, who runs for office and who is elected. The new maps created by citizens will reflect shared interests and geographic areas of their common concerns, rather than the interests of politicians and political parties.
The League hopes groups will provide at least 25 community maps.
Coalition for Fair Maps
Missouri Open Mapping coordinator Sean Nicholson reports 19 organizations across the state have joined the fair map coalition including Community Partnership of the Ozarks, League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Missouri Faith Voices, and NAACP Springfield.
For more information contact the League of Women Voters at lwvsouthwestmo@gmail.com