Metro East Sun

Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton says Illinois' redistricting has led to voter disenfranchisement.

“It has disengaged the voters by having districts designed the way they are designed," Patton, who is running for the 56th District Senate seat being given up by Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton), told the Metro East Sun. "They don’t know who to call. They don’t know who to reach out to. A lot of them don’t know what district they are in.

“It needs to be consistent. It needs to be fair and it needs to be predictable.”

Hal Patton

A Republican, Patton says he has seen the confusion gerrymandering has caused in his own backyard. 

“We have three congressional seats that break up our community of Edwardsville," he said. "We are 26,000 people, yet there are three congressmen that have a sliver of Edwardsville. It makes no sense why it was divided that way.”

Patton argues that there's a big difference between the idea behind redistricting and what has actually taken place.

“It is not a democratic process the way we establish the map now," he said. "It is strictly a partisan process.”

Lately, some Republicans have accused House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) of continuing his political hold on the state by announcing his plans to remain until redistricting has again taken place in 2020.

Madigan has been involved in four redistrictings in his 46-year career. 

“Even though he's in his twilight years, Madigan wants to stick around until the 2020 remap so he can consolidate power and stick it to voters one last time,” GOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot said in a press release.

Patton said he believed the best mapmaking method would involve an independent commission that did not have political ties or motives.  

“We just need to go to surrounding states that have a good system and have done it well for years and not try to continue within the same politically driven, politically motivated system we have here in Illinois," he said.

The 56th Senate District includes some or all of Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, East Alton, Edwardsville, Elsah, Glen Carbon, Godfrey, Granite City, Rosewood Heights and Wood River.