Redistricting is needed, but needs some changes.

Redistricting happens every 10 years after the census results are in and its purpose is to ensure that all citizens receive equal representation in state and federal government, legislative and congressional districts respectively.

There are several different ways redistricting procedures are handled depending on the state, but in Illinois it leads to gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is the practice in which the political party in control redraws the maps in a way that in the next election they retain their political advantage.

This leads to boundaries that are incomprehensible to the public and only make sense to those whose interest they have been drawn to protect.

This already complicated process has been made been made more difficult by the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011.

This piece of legislation dictates that the redistricting must also conform to special treatment for “racial and language minorities” creating “crossover districts, coalition districts or influence districts.” The purpose of these districts are to benefit minorities.

This language is confusing and requires further explanation.

A crossover district is one in which the minority does not make up the majority of voters, but in which it is possible for enough of the majority of voters to “crossover” and, in turn, elect the minority’s candidate. It is the opinion of the editorial staff that this is a laughable idea because how is it to be determined a fact that members of the majority voters will or will not “crossover?”

This cannot be determined as a fact until the votes are in and counted.

A coalition district is one in which a combination of minorities may join together to elect a minority candidate of the coalition’s choice.

An influence district is one in which “a racial minority or language minority can influence the outcome of an election even if its preferred candidate cannot be elected.”

The Daily Eastern News editorial staff agrees that it is important for minorities to have representation within government.

With the enactment of the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 the politicians have found another way to disguise there gerrymandering and have another way to justify there efforts to hold onto power for their respective political party.

There needs to be a simplified and easier to understand process for the district lines to be drawn. These regulations need to take into account equal populations while accounting for minority representation.

The boundary lines need to make sense geographically also. This means no more jigsaw puzzle pieces.

The boundary lines should follow along county or city lines as much as possible to keep from splitting up city and county communities downstate.

We would suggest a state wide election for a strictly nonpartisan group with ultimate authority in drawing the lines with community, equal population and minority representation as the guiding principles.