Days after he once again urged Americans to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, former President Barack Obama will reveal to voters on Monday how he believes gerrymandering is holding back the Democratic Party and damaging democracy.
Obama’s comments are part of a long campaign narrative outlining his own recent work to reform the country’s redistricting process through his proposed Constitutional Accountability Center. While the document is still under wraps, the PAC’s website suggests that Obama will publicly discuss his effort during a town hall discussion with roughly a thousand voters. The president in part hopes to shine a light on the practice of gerrymandering, which both Democrats and Republicans have used over the years to reduce the strength of independent voices at the ballot box.
In a speech from the state capital of North Carolina earlier this month, Obama told supporters: “I want you to vote in the midterms because you’re going to elect a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. That’s how we change Washington and make it more accountable to the American people.” His address urged voters to cast a ballot not only to ensure Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives, but also to choose candidates to represent communities which would otherwise be subject to overly drawn district boundaries.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently the lone Democrat running in the 2020 presidential election, though her supporters also have a candidate on the books from California, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.
Read the full story at The Guardian.
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