We think northeast Indiana’s district boundaries for electing U.S. and Indiana House members are fair.
In fact, the districts drawn in 2011 make more sense than in the past. It’s now easier to know which lawmakers represent your local county.
In such a strongly Republican region, it would be nearly impossible to draw a district in which a Democratic candidate had a 50-50 shot.
Across the rest of the state, however, districts might not be quite as fair.
A new study by the Associated Press shows that thanks to the way districts are drawn, Indiana Republicans may hold one extra seat in Congress and five additional seats in the Indiana House of Representatives.
Changing those seats wouldn’t change the Republican majority in the Indiana Statehouse, but it would take away the GOP’s absolute control of holding a “super-majority” of 70-30. With more than two-thirds of members, Republicans can do what they want without needing any cooperation from a single Democrat.
Nationally, “gerrymandering” of election districts — drawing jagged boundaries to influence who wins — can be a bigger problem than in Indiana.
Even in Indiana, however, “safe” districts for either party can contribute to our state’s shoddy record of low voter turnout. If the outcome is guaranteed, many people conclude, why vote?
Momentum is building for the idea that state legislators should not be allowed to draw the districts in which they are elected. It seems obvious that it can be a conflict of interest.
Reports say Indiana’s Speaker of the House Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) is among the key state leaders who support creating an independent commission to draw election districts. We hope Hoosiers will ask their local legislators to support it, too.