Dear Editor: Feeling Ignored

Dear Editor,

Many of us here in Jefferson County are tired of party politics and feeling ignored by political elites who only care about their own agendas. These days it seems like elections are so partisan that no one really wins. We have to ensure that our elections are fair from the very beginning when drawing our state’s congressional maps.

States are required by the constitution to redraw congressional and state legislative district lines every ten years to account for changes in population size. These maps can determine the outcome of an election, simply based on how it’s drawn. The problem in most states is that their congressional districts are drawn to unjustly favor one political party because their maps are drawn by the state’s legislature, who tend to draw the lines that fit their political agenda. Montana is different.

Montana is a leader in ensuring fair maps are drawn in the state by having one of the few independent districting commissions in the nation. The independent commission is made up of Montanans, not elected officials, who are appointed by the legislature and Supreme Court. Our independent commission should strive to work together towards collaborative decision-making, not single-party politics. This essentially guarantees that our maps aren’t drawn by legislators trying to play party politics. That alone would be revolutionary in our country and state which is sadly crippled by strong political divisiveness.

When it comes to fair and competitive elections, more states need to look to Montana.

Rebecca Johnson

Montana City, Montana