By Alison McCaffree, Census & Redistricting Issue Chair, LWV of Washington 

Join us on Tuesday, April 26 at 5 p.m. to hear Toby Nixon from the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) discuss the Open Public Meetings Act and WashCOG’s successful lawsuit against the 2021 Redistricting Commission. Afterwards, Alison McCaffree, the LWVWA’s Redistricting Issue Chair, will facilitate a discussion on the need for more changes to the Redistricting Commission’s process and how we might go about achieving them.  

Transparency is at the heart of our representative democracy. Seeing our elected officials and those they appoint on commissions and committees do their work allows us to understand their reasoning and hold them accountable to our wishes. But transparency doesn't always happen. Last year’s Washington State Redistricting Commission negotiated behind the scenes and held a vote on maps no one had seen.  

While redistricting relies on technology and data analysis, ultimately human judgment must balance representation among various communities of interest with many needs that sometimes overlap or conflict. We must create a process that inspires trust, a process that holds commissioners accountable to communities, and ultimately, a process that gives voice to the people of Washington state. 

Redistricting reform discussion meetings will be held every other Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the following dates and topics: 

• April 26 2022: Transparency and accountability 

• May 10, 2022: Increased staffing and technology support 

• May 24, 2022: Independent citizens commission 

• June 7, 2022: Input and access 

The registration link is the same for all meetings. If you have any questions, contact Alison McCaffree.