Recently the NH House approved a congressional map that nonpartisan watchdog groups have identified as gerrymandered and uncompetitive. The map was created to override fair representation and the outcome of future elections. It insulates elected officials from their voters by allowing map makers to determine the outcome of elections, not the voters. When elected officials do not represent their voters, they cannot be held accountable by them, and democracy fails. Americans do not want democracy to fail!
In 2020 and 2021, 74 New Hampshire towns passed the NH Resolution for Fair, Nonpartisan Redistricting by a 3-1 margin. The demands of these voters have been ignored. Members of the NH House have spoken of wanting fairness and election integrity, yet have created these deeply flawed, gerrymandered maps, driven by a desire to obtain unchecked dominance, rather than by a desire to create district boundaries based on everyday concerns such as existing school districts, planning districts and town and city lines. It is unacceptable.
I am calling on the NH Senate to actually listen to the voters. The Legislature must put the needs of NH citizens before partisan power. It should eliminate the proposed congressional, Executive Council, Senate, and House maps, and replace them with bipartisan competitive or independently produced, competitive maps. It’s what the voters want. Gerrymandering has long plagued our country. It is time NH citizens and Senate members rise up and say no to gerrymandering to save our democracy.
Karen Campbell
Epsom