After the U.S. Census every 10 years, states reapportion the population into voting districts. When redistricting is fair, maps are drawn to consider how many citizens are in a town, what towns are in what school districts, and whether towns have a shared economic source like a mill, or a shared geographic area. When redistricting is not fair, it becomes gerrymandering, a manipulation of those maps for partisan gain.

In 2011 a bipartisan Special Committee was to draw the maps, but it was really created for show. The reality was that the maps were drawn by a handful of people, all behind closed doors and using a software program which still has never been publicly scrutinized.

The NH House has embarked on a redistricting process for the next 10 years and has again formed a bipartisan Special Committee. A repeat of what occurred in 2011 should not take place.

The new Special Committee on Redistricting has an opportunity to do it right. A redistricting process that is accountable to voters must be open, transparent, nonpartisan, allow for public engagement, and allow time for the public to provide feedback on the proposed redistricting plan. I believe that an open and transparent redistricting process can help ensure that public servants who are elected actually serve the citizens of New Hampshire.

Warrant Article 34: Resolution for Fair Nonpartisan Redistricting will be considered at the 2021 Amherst Town Meeting. Please support this warrant article by speaking in favor of it at the deliberative session on Wednesday, May 5 and, more importantly, voting for the warrant article on Tuesday, June 8. The travesty that was the redistricting process in 2011 should never be allowed to happen again.