Residents of the 3rd Congressional District have another opportunity to make their voices heard on how the Washington State Redistricting Commission should draw congressional and legislative district lines for the next 10 years. The commission is hosting a virtual public outreach meeting for the 3rd District from 7 to 9 p.m. July 26. Information on how to give your input is at https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/participate/attend.
Depending on where district lines are drawn, attending your legislator’s town hall meeting may require you to drive to the other side of the county or to the other side of the Cascade Range. Your town or city may be split between two or more districts, diluting the voting power of your community. Your vote may “count” but not “matter” if lines are drawn in a way that favors a political party with which you don’t agree.
At the last outreach session, residents of both the 49th and 18th legislative districts urged the commission to draw new district lines to make their legislative races more competitive. Some urban voters were concerned about being lumped in with rural voters and vice versa. Others were concerned that the growing city of Battle Ground was split between the 17th and 18th legislative districts.
Whatever your concerns, tell the Redistricting Commission about them. Democracy only works if we participate.
