‘Independent’ redistricting group wants NC Secretary of State, who licenses Illegal Aliens as notaries, to be in charge of redistricting

RALEIGH – Among the many races on the ballot in 2020 is that of North Carolina Secretary of State, and 20+ year incumbent Democrat Elaine Marshall. Marshall, while ruling the roost for two decades, developed a habit of conferring state powers and licenses upon illegal aliens. She stood to be impeached for it before she was allowed to slide somehow.

Now, an ‘independent’ redistricting group called Citizen Redistricting NC wants to put the Secretary’s office in charge of the incessantly volatile redistricting process.

Anna Martina, advocacy co-chair with an organization called Citizen Redistricting North Carolina, is pushing the Secretary and other 2020 candidates to throw their support behind legislation that would put the SoS in charge of drawing legislative maps.

“[…] I am very concerned as a student growing up in North Carolina about the damage gerrymandering has done and continues to do to our democracy and its impact on our future. Gerrymandering is a topic that must be discussed among candidates in this year’s election because of the negative large scale impact it has on North Carolina. I am reaching out to you because under our proposed legislation, the Secretary of State would be responsible for implementing a citizen-driven redistricting process. […]”

For one, the ‘damage’ done to our democracy by gerrymandering has existed as long democracy itself, and only arises indignation currently because Republicans have turned the tide over the last decade. Republican majorities and their policies apparently represent a “negative large scale impact.”

Beyond that, considering Marshall’s history, a ‘citizen-driven’ endeavor may not be her strong suit.

Martina, also a college student at N.C. State, and her group want the State to use software to put redistricting ‘back in citizens’ hands,’ (which sounds like a mess) as if the process is not representative already. We sort of have a system of representation, if you will, who we each vote on to send and collectively decide issues of governance.  Map-drawing and elections would seem to qualify as one of those issues, and, better yet, every two years voters get to hold the representatives accountable.

It would seem a pretty good system unless you aren’t winning elections sufficient to influence the maps. That was the case for Republicans for decades, but with principles and policies they overcame the deficit. Democrats are debased in both, so their only hope is political help from activist judges, or taking the process out of the representative branch entirely and couching it within the epitome of bureaucratic government whose current leader ironically thinks immigration status is non-issue.

Such a scheme would never make it through a Republican led General Assembly, of course, but it’s never wise to discount risks when it comes to uncertain election futures. Republicans have already lost their super-majority, and this week’s judicial ruling on gerrymandered state legislative maps stands to weaken their hold further. The best way to really ensure that Elaine “Illegal Notary” Marshall isn’t controlling district lines is to support her 2020 opponent Republican Michael LaPaglia.

The race is a rematch after LaPaglia came closer to defeating Marshall in 2016 than any challenge she’s had over her two decade stint at the Office of N.C. Secretary of State. if there were ever a career politician to send packing, it would be Marshall, lest she find herself in the unlikely role of Redistricting Queen.