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PRESS RELEASE: Change Illinois Releases New Report On Redistricting in Illinois
PRESS RELEASE: Change Illinois Releases New Report On Redistricting in Illinois
PRESS RELEASE: Change Illinois Releases New Report On Redistricting in Illinois
Page
2
Jan.
14,
2016
The
percentage
of
General
Assembly
elections
featuring
at
least
two
candidates
has
decreased
significantly
over
time.
In
the
first
election
under
a
new
map
in
1982
and
1992,
a
strong
majority
of
the
elections
were
contested.
By
2012,
60
percent
of
House
elections
and
51
percent
of
Senate
elections
were
uncontested.
In
2014,
58
percent
of
House
elections
were
uncontested.
Due
to
staggered
terms,
there
was
an
election
in
only
one-third
of
the
Senate
districts,
and
12
of
the
19
(63
percent)
were
uncontested.
The
degree
of
competition
in
Illinois
legislative
elections
is
low
and
declining.
When
a
winning
candidates
vote
total
is
55
percent
or
less,
the
district
is
considered
competitive.
On
average
over
the
past
four
decades,
88
percent
of
voters
(104
of
118
House
races,
52
of
59
Senate
races)
had
no
choice
at
all
on
the
ballot
or
a
choice
between
a
sure
winner
and
a
sure
loser.
There
has
been
a
dramatic
increase
in
the
number
of
legislators
elected
without
even
a
token
opponent
in
both
the
primary
and
the
general
election.
In
1982,
20
of
the
177
legislators
elected
faced
no
opponent
in
either
the
primary
or
the
general.
In
2012,
69
legislators
had
no
opponent
in
both
the
primary
and
the
general
election
essentially
given
a
free
pass.
The
number
of
free
pass
legislators
elected
increased
in
2014
even
though
only
one-third
of
the
Senate
was
up
for
election.
In
2014,
58
(49
percent)
of
those
elected
to
the
House
did
not
have
an
opponent
in
the
primary
or
the
general
election,
as
did
12
of
19
(63
percent)
of
those
elected
to
the
Senate.
Voters
in
primary
elections
have
even
fewer
choices
for
participation,
engagement,
and
communication
than
voters
in
general
elections.
In
the
2014
primary
election,
89
percent
of
House
and
95
percent
of
the
Senate
legislative
primaries
were
uncontested.
The
level
of
primary
activity
in
districts
dominated
by
one
party
is
very
low
and
has
decreased
significantly
under
the
last
two
partisan
maps.
Under
the
2001
and
2011
maps,
the
average
number
of
same-party
competitive
primaries
in
districts
dominated
by
one
party
was
11
percent
in
the
House
and
4
percent
in
the
Senate.
This
clearly
indicates
that
voters
in
districts
dominated
by
one
political
party
in
the
general
election
were
rarely
presented
with
meaningful
choices
in
the
primaries.
Illinois
partisan
redistricting
process
undermines
our
democracy
and
discourages
civic
participation,
said
Ra
Joy,
Executive
Director
of
CHANGE
Illinois.
We
need
to
put
people
before
partisanship
and
have
fair
maps
drawn
by
an
impartial
commission
listening
to
voters
and
acting
in
the
open.
Thats
why
CHANGE
Illinois
supports
the
Independent
Map
Amendment
(www.MapAmendment.org).
-
more
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Page
3
Jan.
14,
2016
About
CHANGE
Illinois
CHANGE
Illinois
is
a
non-partisan
coalition
leading
systemic
political
and
government
reform.
CHANGE
(the
Coalition
for
Honest
and
New
Government
Ethics)
includes
a
diverse
group
of
civic,
business,
labor,
professional,
non-profit
and
philanthropic
organizations
that
represent
more
than
2
million
members.
The
non-profit
addresses
issues
that
undermine
our
democracy,
including
ballot
access,
competitive
elections,
increased
citizen
participation,
government
transparency,
unethical
lobbying
and
redistricting.
For
more
information,
visit
www.CHANGEIL.org.
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