Alexis Ortego of Palm Springs and Lynne O’Neill of Cathedral City write that as the Desert Healthcare District prepares to transition to zone-based elections, its board must decide how the new zones will be drawn to best represent our communities.
“The board’s final selection of a map and the boundaries of the five electoral zones will be a crucial step in building trust and increasing meaningful representation across our area. Therefore, we are advocating for the board to select a map with zones that minimize dilution of the Latino voting bloc in the areas of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms and Sky Valley…
“Taking into account the representation of protected minorities is not gerrymandering or favoritism. In fact, it is required by federal law. History tells us that Latino voters tend to vote together and thus constitute a minority bloc that should not be diluted. This holds true in the Coachella Valley.”
Read the full column at The Desert Sun.
