News Clips

“I’d defy anybody to show me how Lordship reaching over to the Devon Bridge or District 2 being a five-armed octopus is either compact or contiguous,” Democratic Registrar of Voters Jim Simon said. “These things are not done by accident.” Republicans say the maps are the result of shifts in census data. “Redistricting is purely population driven,” GOP Registrar Lou DeCilio, who is also the chairman of the Republican Town Committee, said. “It has nothing to do with ethnicity, income level or registered voters.”

“Redistricting will determine the voting power of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities for the next ten years,” Quickmire said. “That’s why it’s so important that we, the people, have a say in how our maps are drawn. When the people are involved, we can be sure that maps are drawn to benefit us, not the politicians.”

Redistricting traditionally has been conducted out of the public eye, brokered by Democratic and Republican legislative caucus leaders sensitive to the wants and needs of incumbents — namely, district maps that will enhance chances for re-election, not invite competition.

The Connecticut Reapportionment Committee will conduct a hearing in Hartford at the Legislative Office Building 7 p.m., Sept. 8. A second hearing will be held at the town hall in Norwich 1 p.m., Sept. 9. The third event will take place at the city hall in Shelton at 1 p.m. on Sept. 13. Meanwhile, the committee scheduled a virtual hearing for 7 p.m., Sept. 14.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill announced in June she would not seek a fourth term, making her the only constitutional officer not expected to run for reelection. The first stirrings of a primary race have begun to take shape in the weeks since.

“'The important thing is making sure the process is transparent so people understand why the lines are moving,' said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the election watchdog group..."