Draw Marion County Training Sessions Start This Saturday - June 23

Contact:  Greg Bedan (317)694-7097

INDIANAPOLIS-IN: Common Cause/Indiana will hold its first public training session for mapping software that allows citizens to draw their own maps for  City-County Council this Saturday, June 23 from 10:30 until 12:30 at the Nora branch of the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library.  A second public training will be held on Tuesday, July 10 from 5:30 until 7:30 at the Southport library branch.

Common Cause/Indiana Policy Director Julia Vaughn said “We are excited about the opportunity that the Draw Marion County website and software gives citizens in Marion County.  In order to make sure these tools are fully utilized, we are providing a variety of ways for people to learn to use the software and to get help crafting their maps.  The public training sessions are a great way to learn more about this process but if people aren’t able to make it to a training help is also available via phone or email.  We can also provide one-on-one assistance by appointment.  Since redistricting is such an important and basic part of the election process, we want to make sure that citizens can fully participate.”

Redistricting is required every ten years to account for changes in population throughout the county.  The process was so contentious last decade that the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately drew the maps currently in use. Partisan politics has dominated the process so far this time around, making it especially important that average citizens have a way to offer meaningful input into the process; www.drawmarioncounty.org provides that tool.

The www.drawmarioncounty.org open source software was successfully used this past year in Minneapolis and Philadelphia where they helped make the redistricting process more transparent and better serve the interests of citizens.

North Training Session:  Sat., June 23, Nora Library, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
8625 Guilford Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46240 , 317-275-4470

South Training Session:  Tues, July 10, Southport Library, 5:30 –7:30 p.m.
2630 E. Stop 11 Road, Indianapolis, IN 46227 , 317-275-4510