How do you stop politicians from rigging the ballot? This woman knows
(The Guardian United States)

She ended gerrymandering in Michigan against all odds. Now, as the documentary Slay the Dragon arrives, Katie Fahey´s hoping the momentum is replicated in other statesFor many years Michigan was divided evenly along party lines - a checkerboard of red and blue every election. Then, in 2011, Michigan´s Republican party legally rigged the system. Charged with drawing new district lines, the lawmakers did so with unprecedented precision - carving unnatural boundaries to keep their favored voters and locales in hand - to guarantee a majority for their party.It worked perfectly. The process of creating these doctored maps, known as gerrymandering, resulted in widespread victories for the Republicans. The party controlled almost every level of government, from the state supreme court to municipal workers. And with tangible impact on Michigan´s people: the Flint water crisis, which killed 12 people, happened because party legislators appointed emergency managers whom voters opposed. Continue reading...