California Voters Vote No on Proposition 27
November 3, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With nearly 100 percent of precincts reporting, California voters have once again chosen political reform by voting down Proposition 27 by nearly 60 percent. Prop 27 would have overturned voter-approved redistricting reforms, eliminated the Citizens Redistricting Commission, and returned the power to draw state legislative districts to the politicians.
“In 2008, Californians voted for Prop 11 to change the status quo and allow voters to choose their representatives, rather than letting politicians choose their voters,” said Zabrae Valentine, executive director of the California Forward Action Fund. “Today’s vote was a clear choice by Californians to preserve the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and keep voters – not politicians – in charge.”
“More than 31,000 Californians applied to take part in the Citizens Redistricting Commission,” said Janis R. Hirohama, president of the League of Women Voters of California, “and a well-qualified, diverse commission is well on the way to being chosen. Defeating Prop 27 allows the commission to continue to inject accountability in government and create a transparent redistricting process.”
“By opposing Prop 27, Californians have proved that they are determined to hold politicians accountable,” said Jeannine English, member of AARP’s national Board of Directors. “The state must now get back to solving the serious problems California faces.”
The Keep Voters First Coalition is comprised of a diverse array of organizations, including the League of Women Voters of California, AARP, California Common Cause, the California Forward Action Fund, California NAACP, the National Federation of Independent Business/California, and the California Chamber of Commerce (for a full list, please visit: KeepVotersFirst.org).
“We feel extremely lucky to have been part of such a diverse and remarkable coalition that worked diligently to put a stop to Prop 27,” said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause. “I think it speaks volumes that organizations came together to stop the blatant power grab, stand up for Californians, and preserve voter-approved reforms.” For another perspective on the defeat of Prop 27, please read Tom Coghlan’s blog on the News Hawks Review.
Keep Voters First (No on Prop 27) is a diverse coalition of organizations dedicated to ensuring that California has fair election districts, so voters have a voice in elections and can hold politicians accountable. No on Prop 27 preserves voter-approved reforms, let the independent Citizens Redistricting commission draw fair election districts, and keep the voters in charge. For more information, please visit: KeepVotersFirst.org, twitter.com/KeepVotersFirst, and Facebook.com/KeepVotersFirst.
