With the passage of Prop 11 in November 2008, Californians took a historic step towards reforming our state’s governance. Guest blogger, Elaine M. Howle, the California State Auditor penned this piece regarding this statewide civic participation opportunity:
We Californians have a well-deserved reputation for invention and innovation. So it only makes sense that - if any state was going to reinvent the complex task of redistricting - California would lead the way.
Voters got the ball rolling in 2008 by passing the Voters’ FIRST Act, which started the process of creating the nation’s first independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (www.WeDrawTheLines.ca.gov) - a job that, until now, has been overseen by the Legislature and the Governor.
The initiative asks everyday citizens to serve as one of the 14 members to the very first Citizens Redistricting Commission. The measure also gave my office responsibility for creating and overseeing the application process.
On December 15, the first day applications could be filed, we received 250 completed applications…before noon. More than 500 were in before the end of the day. Within just two days, that number tripled. Today, we have more than 4,500 applications with nearly 4,000 of those tentatively eligible, but we want and need more . . .
We’re tracking applicant data on a daily basis (https://application.wedrawthelines.ca.gov/statistics) and you can see that they’re coming from nearly every corner of the state, from counties large and small, from Lassen County to Imperial County and from Placer County to San Diego County. Men and women, Republicans and Democrats, Green Party members, Libertarians and those who decline to state their partisan affiliation are all throwing their hats into the ring.
However, not every community has strong representation in the current applicant pool. Our goal is to ensure our applicant pool reflects the diversity of California. Why? Everyone’s views must be considered in this redistricting effort to ensure Californians are best represented.
Check out the application data - if applications from your region or your community are lagging, it’s time to ask yourself: why not me? It’s easy. Just go to www.WeDrawtheLines.ca.gov to learn more, look over the qualifications and file your application by February 12.
If you’re asking yourself, why you should care or get involved, consider this:
- You made it happen - You voted for this - take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of California history.
- Unprecedented Opportunity - For the first time in our state’s history, ordinary citizens will hold the power to draw the district lines for State Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization.
- Momentous Chance - You have the chance to serve on the country’s very first redistricting commission truly made up for citizens from across the state.
- Fair Representation - You can help provide fair representation for all Californians and make sure your community’s voice is heard.
We’ve been working hard to get the word out to all Californians about this opportunity, but we also want to hear your ideas on how we can best reach your communities. What could we be doing better? We’re interested in hearing more from you - you can send your thoughts and ideas via email to VotersFirstAct@auditor.ca.gov, tweet your question using #WeDrawThelines - or call us at 1-866-356-5217.
I strongly encourage you to be a part of this new and historical experiment in direct democracy. If we weren’t trying something new, we wouldn’t be California.
You can follow the Citizens Redistricting Commission on Twitter at @WeDrawTheLines or tag your related Tweets with #WeDrawTheLines