With Tuesday’s Bexley city elections approaching, “Bexley for Bernie,” an association of progressive Bexley residents and Capital University students, recently met and endorsed “Yes on Issue One”.
Issue One is a proposed constitutional amendment which will replace the current partisan process for drawing the boundaries of Ohio Senate and House districts.
Issue One will reduce gerrymandering, the process in which district lines are drawn to collect votes that would favor one party over another. This practice leads to apathy and cynicism on the part of ordinary voters since governmental decisions voted on may not reflect the will of the people. The proposed replacement is a bipartisan process that will make Senate and House races more competitive.
“Both democrats and republicans use redistricting for their party’s advantage, and Issue One would change the process of redistricting to be more fair to the voters,” Cassidy Teminsky, junior, said.
Voters have a chance to vote on this issue Election Day, November 3.
In a meeting last weekend, members of Bexley for Bernie discussed the connections between Issue One and Sanders’s platform. Sanders is calling for far greater participation among ordinary people in political decision making and less political influence from banks and large corporations.
Just as Bernie Sanders wants to increase people’s participation and political efficacy, having more fair and competitive state legislative district boundaries could give the electorate a clearer voice in election outcomes.
Bexley for Bernie calls on all Bexley residents and Capital University students to exercise their right to vote in the current election and vote yes on Issue One.
“The members of Bexley for Bernie are constantly looking for ways to be involved in the community and also providing information about Sanders’s political history and platform,” Teminsky said.
The next meeting for Bexley for Bernie is Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Bexley Coffee Shop on Cassady Road. Those interested can check out the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bexleyforbernie.
