MEDIA ALERT: August 6, 2020
Contact: Lilly Irvin-Vitela, Lilly@nmfirst.org, 505-234-0694
New Mexico First to Develop Recommendations to Present to State Legislature on Redistricting Rules and Processes
The statewide nonprofit organization New Mexico First is inviting nominations and self-nominations for a Redistricting Task Force. The goal of the task force is to develop recommendations to present to N.M. Legislature on redistricting rules and processes.
New Mexico First is committed to cross-partisan dialogue, consensus-building, and aligned action on policy issues that impact the state. Therefore, the Redistricting Task Force will include voters, researchers, lawmakers, tribal members, and advocates who are knowledgeable about redistricting or voter rights. The task force will include people from different political parties and will be racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse, including members from the sovereign Pueblos and Tribes across New Mexico.
Lilly Irvin-Vitela, President and Executive Director, said, “This task force can improve cross-partisan trust in the redistricting process, reduce the contentiousness that has historically resulted in timely and costly lawsuits, and increase public confidence in the electoral process and civic institutions.” Furthermore, Irvin-Vitela noted, “The public needs confidence that democracy works and that voters are choosing their elected officials rather than the perception that elected officials are choosing their voters.”
The Redistricting Task Force will meet remotely every two weeks beginning September 21, 2020, from 3-5 pm, and it aims to complete discussion, deliberation, and drafting of recommendations by late November. Interested New Mexicans can go to https://tinyurl.com/nm-redistricting to self-nominate or to nominate someone.
Funding for the task force was provided through a grant from the Thornburg Foundation.
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About: New Mexico First builds consensus on critical issues facing our state and communities, and leads positive policy change through deliberative town halls, forums, and nonpartisan work on education, the economy, healthcare, natural resources, and good governance.
Media Contact: Lilly Irvin-Vitela, President and Executive Director, New Mexico First lilly@nmfirst.org 505-234-0694
New Mexico First, PO Box 56549, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87187, phone: (505) 225-2140, website: www.nmfirst.org
