To the Editor:

It’s no secret that gerrymandering has severely distorted representation in North Carolina and undermined the principle of one-person-one-vote in our state. In the 2016 congressional elections, for instance, while statewide Democratic vote totals equaled 47 percent, it resulted in only 23 percent of the representation, or 3 out of 13 House seats. Statewide Republican congressional votes totaled 53 percent but received 77 percent of the representation, or 10 of the 13 seats.

This system of allowing politicians to choose their voters through blatantly biased gerrymandering is not only unfair, it’s un-American and unconstitutional as decided by the federal courts. 

On Wednesday, June 14, from 7 to 9 p.m., there will be a Fair Vote Town Hall to determine what we can do to correct this injustice. The forum will include a highly qualified multi-partisan panel discussion as well as questions and comments from those in attendance. It will be held at Haywood College Auditorium, 185 Freedlander Drive, in Clyde.   

Panel members include former Superior Court Judge Tom Ross, Chair of WCU’s Political Science Department Chris Cooper, Jane Pinsky of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform, former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr, former state representative Joe Sam Queen, Rep. Chuck McGrady and Chair of the N.C. Libertarian Party Brian Irving.  

I urge all who are reading this to attend. 

Avram Friedman

Sylva