This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The League of Women Voters of Salt Lake would like to thank the Salt Lake Tribune for highlighting the important effort to form an independent redistricting commission. However, as a near-century-old nonpartisan advocacy group, the league has long held that fairly drawn voting districts are a crucial piece of our democratic process.

Lee Davidson's July 3 article focused on the unfair advantage given Utah Republicans in the last election. While this is true, it is not the primary reason citizens should insist on fair boundaries. Any initiative to create an advisory commission in Utah should be done to give voters the best opportunity to choose their representatives, no matter what party they belong to.

Robert Gehrke's July 5 column was on point, saying gerrymandered districts have stolen the people's voice.

The League of Women Voters has been pushing for an independent redistricting commission since the 1960s, and we don't intend to back down now. The stakes are simple. We need to preserve our representative government.

Luana Chilelli,

voting services director,

League of Women Voters of Salt Lake

Salt Lake City