* Senate President Don Harmon is the Democratic committeeperson for Oak Park Township, and House Speaker Chris Welch is the Democratic committeeperson for Proviso Township, so this is kinda interesting…
Oak Park & Proviso voters demand Fair Maps
Illinois—This election, voters in Oak Park and Proviso townships showed overwhelming support for ending gerrymandering in Illinois. In both townships, voters weighed in on a non-binding referendum question that asked whether or not they wanted an independent redistricting commission to draw legislative and congressional maps. In Oak Park Township 81% of voters said yes to Fair Maps and in Proviso Township 73% of voters said yes to Fair Maps!
These results follow 74% of voters in Peoria showing their support for Fair Maps in the 2022 General Election.
“Year after year, voters in Illinois continue to reaffirm that we need Fair Maps that are community-based and driven by everyday folks, not by the people that stand to benefit from choosing their voters,” said DuShaun Branch, the community organizing director at CHANGE Illinois.
With the support of local groups, such as the League of Women Voters in Oak Park, and everyday people organizing in the community, the record is clear that Illinoisans want to see power restored to the people as it has been done in other states such as California and Michigan. “This was a truly grassroots, community-led effort that gave residents a voice to send a powerful message to their elected officials that voters are determined to end gerrymandering,” said Branch.
CHANGE Illinois will continue to work to end gerrymandering and empower residents across the state to show their unified support for Fair Maps.
Thoughts?
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
Cutting off your nose to spite your face
Although it would be really interesting to see how voting turned out in Illinois with a really fair non partisan map and rank choice voting
But probably nothing I will live to see
- jim - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 12:53 pm:
well, guess what - they’re never going to get one.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 12:54 pm:
Having lived in Oak Park, the elected officials will review the results of the election and summarily disregard the will of the electorate.
As proof, I offer the 1980’s referendum to ban handguns. The referendum was overwhelming opposed. The Oak Park village board decided in their infinite wisdom to ignore the results and banned handguns within the village limits.
- Bill - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
Didn’t jb campaign on a promise of fair maps? I guess that’s didn’t happen
- ElTacoBandito - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:06 pm:
No state action on gerrymandering. Wait until Congress gets rid of it. That won’t happen anytime soon obviously, but I am against Democratic states unilaterally disarming.
- Joe Biden Playing Golf - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:14 pm:
There is tremendous support for Fair Maps. If Republicans had any type of organization, Fair Maps would be the single and only issue they would hammer on. The map likely accounts for 10 seats or more in the house for Dems.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:27 pm:
Agreed with ElTacoBandito. If you want to end gerrymandering for state districts, fine. But unless it is nationwide, no voluntarily ending it for federal house seats.
- Chicagonk - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:31 pm:
Democrats have 66% of the state house and 68% of the senate seats in a state where Kamala got 53.4% of the vote. There obviously is no incentive for Dems to change anything.
- Sue - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:32 pm:
For as much as D’s complain about R redistricting- splain it to me Lucy how is it in a 52 to 48 state the Dems have super majorities and nearly the entire congressional slate
- Simply Sayin' - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:34 pm:
The gerrymandered map was masterful….despite the increase of Republican votes in this election compared to 4 years ago, not one seat flipped for a Republican and incumbent Republicans still have two close races waiting for the mail-in-ballots. Democrats to going to a fair map would be a big fumble.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:49 pm:
I agree with others. If they want to launch a national campaign to implement fair Congressional maps throughout the United States, I will happily help with that effort. Maybe we could combine it with an Amendment to do away with the electoral college?
But no way will I support unilateral disarmament.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:51 pm:
Lucy always moves the ball so Charlie Brown falls
- WhyBecauseUnkown - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 1:58 pm:
Simply Sayin’ -
= despite the increase of Republican votes in this election compared to 4 years ago=
At the top of the ticket, this is simply not true. Percentages are not votes. In 2020 Trump had 2,446,891 votes and in 2024 currently has 2,391,322 votes.
There will be a lot written about Democratic turnout and the failures that led to the decreased numbers from 2016 and 2020.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:04 pm:
===and in 2024 currently has 2,391,322 votes.===
Oh, come on. The 2020 number you posted was a final number, including mail, EV and provisionals.
The 2024 number is with 93.7% of precincts reporting and no straggler mail or provisionals.
Way too early to make such a statement. Maybe take a nap.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:05 pm:
===splain it to me Lucy how is it in a 52 to 48 state the Dems have super majorities and nearly the entire congressional slate ===
Darren Bailey, Chris Miller, and these other ridiculous clowns that win GOP primaries for legislative races really don’t look that great to the community as a whole.
Your numbers are also a bit off, but I also wouldn’t use Trump’s results as a map of any specific support for any other Republican idea. Consider how Amendment 2 did in Kentucky and compared to how big of a deal the GOP legislators think it is to secure state funding for their religious extremist supporter’s private schools.
In 2024 the Democratic Party, including here in Illinois, decided to keep the election issues simple and picked the wrong issues to keep it simple about.
One can’t blame the map for the constitutional offices and the US Senate seats. If the GOP wants to win this, they gotta look inward just like the Democrats need to nationally.
- GoneFishing - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:08 pm:
If it’s good for the goose it’s good for the gander. Would be happy to have it as long as it is a US Constitutial Amendment. If Illinois does it then then all the states should.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:24 pm:
Asking the electorate if they want “fair maps” is a bit like asking if they want cake. Few will say no. But Illinois should not feel compelled to take the lead on an issue that should be addressed within the US Congress. And they seem quite content with the current state of things.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:30 pm:
@Sue ==splain it to me Lucy how is it in a 52 to 48 state the Dems have super majorities and nearly the entire congressional slate==
If voters were evenly distributed throughout the state, a 52/48 partisan split would be 100-0 in districts in favor of the side with 52.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:32 pm:
==If you want to end gerrymandering for state districts, fine. But unless it is nationwide, no voluntarily ending it for federal house seats.==
It’s not called Somewhat Fair Maps.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 6, 24 @ 2:49 pm:
==splain it to me==
“Splain it to me” why the Dems control every statewide office. You can do all of the whining you want about the General Assembly and Congress but that whining doesn’t explain the statewides.