Illinois—In this election,  Joliet Township voters showed strong support for ending gerrymandering in Illinois. Joliet voters weighed in on a non-binding referendum question asking whether they wanted an independent redistricting commission to draw legislative and congressional maps, and 66.8% said yes. 

“This echoes the sentiments of voters throughout the state who have consistently said yes to Fair Maps,” said DuShaun Branch, Interim Executive Director of CHANGE Illinois Action Fund. In the past 2 years, this non-binding question has been on several township ballots. The results have been as follows: 70% of Rock Island voters, 69% of Addison voters, 78% of Palos voters, 75% of Homer voters, and 79% of Lemont voters; 81% of voters in Oak Park Township, 74% in Proviso Township, and  74% in Peoria Township, all of whom supported Fair Maps in recent elections. Collectively, these townships are home to over half a million Illinoisans. 

Volunteer organizer, JoAnn Potenziani, worked hard to collect signatures and get the question on the ballot in Joliet and said, “People are tired of voting districts manipulated by politicians, so this movement is important. Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.” 

CHANGE Illinois Action Fund will continue to work to end gerrymandering and empower residents statewide to show their unified support for Fair Maps. “We are excited that residents throughout the state are joining us to get this question on their township ballots and are excited for this question to be on the ballot in Oswego in 2027 and more townships in 2028,” said Branch. 

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CHANGE Illinois Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonpartisan, nonprofit that advocates for ethical, efficient government and elections.