Our views: Fairer elections - End political gerrymandering that harms democracy

Florida Today
Dec 1, 2009

Brevard elections supervisor Lori Scott’s office is so swamped with signed petitions she’s had to hire a temp.
That’s great news for democracy because many of the petitions concern twin constitutional amendments that would end gerrymandering of Florida legislative and congressional districts.

The redistricting process takes place after the Census every 10 years, but has been corrupted when politicians redraw boundaries to quash competition and keep a lock on power.

Look no further than state House District 29, held by Rep. Ralph Poppell, R-Vero Beach, to see gerrymandering at its finest. It carves a narrow strip of voters from North Brevard south to rural lands in Indian River County.

But it’s not a Republican or Democratic issue. Both parties gerrymander when they’re in the majority, drawing geographically absurd districts to ensure incumbents get re-elected.

The skewed districts mean there’s often little real choice for voters — such as in 2006 when every member of Brevard’s GOP delegation, except one, ran unopposed for re-election. And in 2008, when Democrats who did run for seats in Brevard districts didn’t stand a chance.

Gerrymandering also forces out moderate voices. Heavily one-party districts elect some of the most far-right Republicans and far-left Democrats.

That harm to democracy is why we supported moves to end gerrymandering in the 1990s when the Democrats were entrenched in power in Tallahassee, and support it now that Republicans run the show.

The flood of petitions in Scott’s office offers strong hope the process can be reformed.

The redistricting amendments are sponsored by Miami-based FairDistrictFlorida.org, which says it has already collected more than the 676,811 signatures required for the proposals to go on 2010 ballots.

Here’s what they would do:
• Forbid the Legislature to draw district lines to favor a political party or protect incumbents.
• Require districts be compact and respect community boundaries.
• Require districts be as equal in population as possible and not disenfranchise minorities.

The proposals wouldn’t completely remove politics, since the Legislature would still have the power to redraw lines. But they would set strong benchmarks to right the upside-down system that allows Florida’s lawmakers to choose their voters, instead of voters choosing their leaders.

Brevard’s state lawmakers should step up in support of the fair-elections amendments.

It’s particularly important that Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, back the redistricting reforms to stop legislators from drawing districts for their own gain. Haridopolos heads the powerful Senate Reapportionment Committee and is in line to be Senate president when the redistricting process is finalized in 2011.

His leadership on the issue is needed to restore the principles of democracy at the polls and rebuild public trust in government in the Sunshine State.

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