1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

Partisan Gerrymandering, combined with the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, is part of a broader effort by conservatives and the Trump Administration to suppress the votes of those who oppose their political agenda. Recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court have weakened key protections within the Voting Rights Act, threatening fair representation and diminishing the voices of communities of color, working families, and middle-class Americans. These rulings accelerated the efforts of many southern states, including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Georgia, to eliminate Democratic and minority congressional seats. There was once broad support for creating a bipartisan New Jersey redistricting commission to ensure a fair and independent process. However, fair government only works when all sides respect the same democratic principles. Across the nation, increasingly aggressive partisan gerrymandering efforts threaten equal representation and undermine public confidence in our electoral system. New Jersey voters have an opportunity to tell their state legislators and Governor Mikie Sherrill to amend the State Constitution and suspend the current New Jersey Redistricting Commission, which is not scheduled to convene until 2030. Placing this issue on the ballot will allow the people of New Jersey to decide whether congressional districts should be redrawn in time for the 2028 elections.