The public is invited to participate in two workshops in Columbia on Saturday, Feb. 23, to learn about initiatives to let citizens rather than politicians draw district lines in South Carolina.

The free sessions will be led by Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter and Sen. Mike Fanning, sponsors of the redistricting bills (H-3423 and S-254), and Mary Peeler, SC coordinator of the US Census. The workshops will be held at 2015 Marion St., downtown Columbia.

“This is a rare opportunity for citizens to be part of the process that could literally reshape politics in South Carolina,” said Network Director Brett Bursey. “We are excited about our plan, we’ve been working on this for two years and are looking forward to rolling it out at Saturday’s workshops. Wherever they are in South Carolina, there is a critical role for voters to play. We encourage them to come find out about how we can force legislators to let the voters draw their districts.”

Political gerrymandering has resulted in South Carolina having among the nation’s least representative elections, with 69% of the state’s voters only having one name on their ballot to represent them in the General Assembly.

Unlike other proposals to end gerrymandering in South Carolina, the Citizens Redistricting Commission lets voters rather than political appointees draw their own district lines. Any voter could apply to serve as one of 14 commissioners who go through an anonymous application and appointment process. The commission’s decisions may not be amended or vetoed.

Because it is unlikely that lawmakers will give their power to citizens, our bill calls for putting a constitutional amendment (H-3390 and S-249) on the 2020 statewide, general election ballot to let voters decide.

It is also unlikely that the majority of the General Assembly, elected with no opposition, will allow the citizen to redraw their districts to be competitive. The plan to force the legislators to let the voters amend the state constitution in the 2020 general election entails the state law that empowers voters to pass county ordinances. “I can guarantee legislators who won their seat in their party’s primary that we will have more votes in their district than they they won their seats by,” Bursey noted.

Our bipartisan plan targets the majority of incumbent lawmakers who had no opposition in the general election. If they don’t support putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot, we’re coming for their seats.

For background on redistricting and details on the legislation see scpronet.com/democracy-project.

Lunch available for $10. Must RSVP by Friday at FairMaps@scpronet.com. Indicate any dietary restrictions.

Organizing Workshops Feb. 23

10–noon: Census – Every person not counted in South Carolina diminishes voter strength. It cost 54 federal programs in SC $15,000.