Bartlesville’s League of Women Voters will host a public forum titled “Time to Stop Gerrymandering in Our State” at the Bartlesville Public Library’s Meeting Room C.

Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. is when the forum will be held. This is intended for you to learn and ask questions about State Question 804 to take the politics out of mapping the State of Oklahoma’s Districts. The League of Women Voters says a successful vote for SQ804 would create an independent citizen-led redistricting commission to ensure that district lines are drawn fairly. They say current Oklahoma law allows members of our state legislature to re-draw their own districts behind closed doors without any oversight or input from the public. They say this allows politicians to hand pick-their voters.

The League of Women Voters of Bartlesville is partnering with People Not Politicians, a coalition of concerned citizens in Oklahoma working to end gerrymandering in out state. Gerrymandering is the practice employed by a party in political power to re-draw voting districts to improve the chances that their candidates will be re-elected.

On Oct. 28th, the ballot initiative for State Question 804 was filed. The League of Women Voter of Bartlesville says this was the first step to putting a stop to gerrymandering.