Sign the petition to end gerrymandering at the Farmers Market

Andrew Banka of Voters Not Politicians came to Manchester last June and gave a presentation on gerrymandering for area residents.

Last June, more than 30 local voters gathered in the high school library to learn about gerrymandering in Michigan. The event was hosted by Manchester area groups and brought the non-partisan organization, Voters Not Politicians, to the village to talk about this widely-used but little-understood political practice. The presentation explained gerrymandering and the problems surrounding it, and the ballot initiative Voters Not Politicians was in the process of crafting to combat the practice.

The group has crafted the ballot initiative that calls for the establishment of an Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission through a state constitutional amendment. They are in the process of trying to collect 315,654 valid signatures in a 180-day window which began in August. Manchester has local volunteers who have gone through training and are collecting signatures on the petition. These volunteers will be at Manchester Farmers Market every Thursday from 3:30 to 7 pm in Chi Bro Park through the end of October.

If you interested in signing or have questions, stop by the Farmers Market or visit www.votersnotpoliticians.com.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.