Dennis Burns: Time for redistricting reform

In his Oct. 20 column “Fixing Congress requires end to gerrymandering,” Hedrick Smith did a powerful job of showing how partisan redistricting is creating polarization and gridlock in Congress.

Sadly, the corrosive effects of gerrymandering also extend to North Carolina’s legislature, reducing the reasons for Republicans and Democrats to work across the aisle and depriving voters of having a real voice at the ballot box.

Since 1992, nearly half of North Carolina’s legislative races have had just one candidate on the ballot, deciding the winners before a single vote is cast! This lack of competition is due largely to unfair districts drawn to heavily favor one party or the other, undermining the basic foundation of our democracy: Voters should be able to choose their representatives, not the other way around. Voters have little motivation to participate in elections when the outcome is already pre-determined by partisan gerrymandering.

It doesn’t matter which party indulges in gerrymandering – both Democrats and Republicans have – all North Carolinians suffer.

Thankfully, a growing number of residents and civic leaders across the political spectrum agree that it’s time to establish independent redistricting reform in North Carolina.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Dennis Burns: Time for redistricting reform."