Redistricting Measure 20-362 does not measure up

While the Lane League wholeheartedly supports the establishment of an Independent Redistricting Commission within the Lane County Charter, we are strongly opposed to Measure 20-362.

In a nutshell this is why:

*  An Independent Redistricting Commission MUST be truly independent and allow for a diversity of voices to be at the table, including minorities and communities of interest that have been traditionally shut out.

*  When and why redistricting occurs matters and should not be at the whim of elected officials who, for whatever reason, just don’t like the map. This “small” detail written into Measure 20-362 looks like an opportunity to gerrymander.

*  Where the specifics live, whether in the Lane Charter or in Lane Code, matters. It costs taxpayer dollars to have to put minor changes to the Charter to a public vote.

*  Election integrity is paramount. We should be listening carefully to the experts in the trenches that do the work on the ground.

*  Process matters because if someone of influence can step in and do an end-run and circumvent an acknowledged, well-run public process, that puts all citizen involvement efforts in jeopardy. It breaks TRUST.

When and Why. The Board of County Commissioners has determined (by a 3 to 2 vote) “that it is in the public interest and benefit to offer voters the option to approve an amendment to the Lane County Charter that would enshrine in the Charter a citizens redistricting commission empowered to prepare a redistricting plan”... That sounds great, but here’s the rub, the Measure goes on to state “for the 2026 general election and thereafter in conjunction with the release of Federal Census data.....”

You have to ask yourself what is the motivation behind Measure 20-362 that mandates, with no new census data available, updating county commissioner maps in 2025 just 3 years after we went through the process. This is not a Charter Review Committee recommendation but a last minute boondoggle.

Where the details reside matters. The County Charter serves as a governing framework for our county government, much like a Constitution. Elections cost us. Redistricting takes time and money. As the Charter Review Committee recommended, putting details in code rather than in the Charter allows for nuanced improvement of the process over time rather than having to go back to a vote every time minor updates may be needed.

Election integrity is paramount. The League values and respects Lane County Elections staff. These are the people charged with voter registration and administration of federal, state, and local elections within Lane County. The job is daunting and increasingly complex. They have been under siege. The Lane County Clerk articulated to Commissioners that: “Introducing tasks outside the normal scope of election management within the proposed timeline poses significant risks to the integrity of elections in Lane County,”

Process matters. The Charter Review Committee presented its final report and recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on October 10, 2023. Nearly one year ago. When asked in late May to review a very “late-in-the-game” proposal that had no apparent public input or review, the Committee unanimously said NOT to put this Measure on the November ballot.

The district boundary map in use today has never been challenged. The current district boundaries have never been appealed to either the Secretary of State or in court. There is no documentation that the maps are in any way biased. There will be no new data available from the census until 2030. Crunching the same numbers in 2025 is a waste of our money.

The League’s goal is to have an Independent Redistricting Committee that works for the people of Lane County, not for politicians. Measure 20-362 does not measure up.

Terry Parker is President of the League of Women Voters of Lane County. The League is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy.