Independent Map Amendment

Illinois needs redistricting reform.In Illinois, the the legislative leaders of the party in power control the drawing of districts maps, which has resulted in both major political parties using map-making as a means to win as many legislative elections as possible. When district maps are drawn to favor one political party, many legislative races go uncontested — which is just what happened in 2014 when over half of the legislative races in Illinois had only one candidate on the ballot. When voters don’t even have a choice between two candidates, many citizens — understandably — lose interest in voting, feeling like their vote doesn’t make a difference.It’s time for change. Instead of legislators choosing which voters they will represent, it’s time for the citizens of Illinois to have real choice when selecting their legislators. Redistricting reform will help drive more competitive races and make legislators more accountable to the people who elect them.If approved by voters, the Independent Map Amendment will establish a non-partisan, independent commission responsible for drawing state legislative districts in a way that is transparent and open to the public. To accomplish this goal, civic, community, non-profit and business leaders — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — have united to promote this important reform that will strengthen democracy in Illinois.