Fair Districts PA Regional Director to Talk Gerrymandering, April 23

Westminster College’s Department of Political Science will welcome economist Dr. Don Goldstein to discuss gerrymandering in Pennsylvania and the movement to reform the partisan rigging of elections. Goldstein will speak in Wallace Memorial Chapel at 7:00 p.m.

Gerrymandering is the process of drawing boundaries for elections, and it is often done in a way that advantages one political party over the other. Elections become less competitive as district boundaries are drawn so that it is almost guaranteed that one party wins.

“Gerrymandering has a really important influence on the way that our democracy works,” said political science professor Dr. Shannon Smithey. “It’s one that most people have paid no attention to.”

Goldstein will provide updates on legal battles surrounding gerrymandering in Pennsylvania and inform attendees of the impact it has on voters. The event is free and open to the public.

“Even though gerrymandering is something that parties do for their own advantage, trying to end gerrymandering is a non-partisan effort,” Smithey said. “It’s something that people care about the integrity of the elections should care about, regardless of their party.”

Goldstein earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a doctorate from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has been both a Fulbright scholar abroad and a research fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. Goldstein is active in efforts to promote community empowerment, affordable housing, and political and economic development. Goldstein is the regional director of Fair Districts PA.

Fair Districts PA is a nonpartisan, citizen-led, statewide coalition that works to create a process for gerrymandering that is transparent, impartial and fair. It was founded in 2016 and is a part of the League of Women Voters to encourage informed and active participation in government.

For more information, contact Smithey at smithesi@westminster.edu or 724-946-6247.

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