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Dear Editor;
Gerrymandering: the manipulation of voting district maps to keep the party in power in power by diluting or concentrating opposition votes to assure the opposition cannot win enough seats to assume power. While who you vote for is secret, sophisticated technology is used to draw maps based on where you vote, how often you vote, how likely you are to vote, whether you vote in primaries, which primaries you vote in, and if (and to whom) you contribute to political campaigns.
New voting district maps will be drawn in 2021 based on the 2020 US Census. It happens only once every 10 years. Competition in politics is just as important as it is in business - to protect constituents/consumers and prevent monopolies. We need strong, principled parties to generate new ideas and to bring people together. Yet, gerrymandering suppresses competition and increases hyper-partisanship. As our legislators feel safe in their voting districts, they listen more to party bosses and donors than to constituents. As a result, there is no action on issues important to most Wisconsinites - nonpartisan map drawing, Medicaid expansion, common sense gun control measures, common sense public safety measures, strengthening public education, etc.
Iowa County overwhelmingly passed (nearly 74%) a referendum calling for a nonpartisan process for drawing new maps in 2021. In Wisconsin, most people - Republicans, Democrats and Independents - support a nonpartisan, transparent map drawing process. Referenda have passed in 28 counties and resolutions have passed in 55 counties, representing 80% of Wisconsin's population. These referenda and resolutions are non-binding, so our work is not done. (Wisconsin state law does not allow for statewide referendum on issues like this.) So, what can we do?
1. Contact your legislators to demand a nonpartisan, transparent procedure that bans the use of voting data
2. Pay attention to the work of the People's Maps Commission and attend the (virtual) 2nd Congressional District hearing on March 11. This citizen commission is researching the complicated process of map drawing, working with experts and drawing maps to show the public what nonpartisan maps, drawn without voting data, could look like. For more information, go to https://govstatus.egov.com/peoplesmaps/hearings-meetings
3. Be an informed voter. Information on candidates in your area is available at www.vote411.org
4. Encourage federal legislators to pass For the People Act, legislation to protect voting rights, diminish the influence of money in politics and strengthen ethics rules for public servants and fortify our democracy.

Myra Enloe
Dodgeville, WI