To the Editor:
Gerrymandering is election fraud. Its effect is to intentionally defraud. Yet, in 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court’s “conservative” majority, in an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit brought by Common Cause, failed to recognize government was established For the People, not political parties, when it ruled that prohibiting partisan gerrymandering was beyond its reach. The ruling is expected to produce an avalanche of manipulated maps benefiting parties, using highly sophisticated software, and powerful analytics about voters.
In 2012, the Republican-majority legislature created Executive Council District #2, a packed, blue, gerrymandered district. Gov. Sununu refers to the salamander shape of the district as “weird,” inferring a harmless happenstance, or void of intent or consequence. However, the district was purposely drawn so his party could form politicly favorable districts elsewhere in the state. Thus, the value of Republican votes cast in 49 municipalities were sacrificed in the interests of his party maintaining the majority. The governor also said gerrymandering in New Hampshire is “rare,” as if of little concern, but since it is an intentional act with negative consequences to the voter, it need not occur at all.
I reject Gov. Sununu’s repeated justifications for vetoing bi-partisan efforts to enact an independent redistricting commission. With Democracy hanging by a string, and autocracy in sight, it is incumbent upon our legislature to recognize the dangers, and work in good faith to produce fair district maps this year that serve people over politics.
Bob Perry
Strafford, N.H.
Bob:
Thanks for writing. We would encourage you—and anyone who’s following this process—to keep us informed. We are deeply concerned about the horrors that could be wrought by our present crop of libertarian Republicans using census data produced under the reign of The Former Guy.
The Editor