Single-Member Districts Give Voters Greater Clout News Clipping

    By LESLIE WINNER .:i .: slick advertising'become more im'
Since a full slate of ilmocrats', portant than philosophy, experi- rr . .

and l0 Repubticans h";iii;'i;i tn,"." or competence. 
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Voter confuEion is,but one of many reasons why
the N.c. Glnerar assemu-rv, ia:ec[, -^'lJ-ttIl:I-9]I! ll9 :Le-l.t-: +ho o,,r,..ori..,.,*o,.,r ,.f rhp Co.orrl A"cp","hl.r .

Singll

*Jl#"'lH.i[If, ifr3 :il,'"','; the 
"pportiorrrr,.r,t 

of the General Assembly

iit'^i1ff$1'J,':T:1,:J::*.., ' xlli"n*ii,'#I"ild";i8;;;'::i- ;ffifr';;;y single.mrr.u*, "r;;ililLim,,;i;.i;;;";"i:i iitiij i|i'i,l-Hti , graphicallv 99TP1ct p.a.rtsr e1c! ",'.'1".'". uY,,uJ Dr.ubls''rr/:u:
il?''4i,+"# graphically compact parts, eacl
Eilsrii 

- with about 5Q;0Q0 residents an<
re#iii each electine one house member

;li:",:".J,'jj fl[ [+1fr i^iili"'".f;iiJ fi:'d661.1ffit:#li districtr. ", *' Y; 
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yrn"l';?l?:ffi ;ffil#i,'::li.i{qi{{i{,t'fl:.:i' : 'i": ::; :: : :l

elected were black, and only I out
of 50 senators was black.

Experience across the South
demonstrates that changing from
multimember districts to single-
member districts helps correct
this imbalance. Every state legis-
lative body which has switched
has changed from having an inor-
dinantly small number of black
representatives to having a more
realistic number, although in no
case anywhere near a proportion-
ate share. For example, Louisiana
changed from having I black leg-
islator to having 22; Alabama,
f.rom 2 to l5; Mississippi, from I
to 17.

o Simply electing more black
representatives is not, however,
the only reason that having single
member districts is important to
the black community. Sociologists
have shown that multimember
districts enhance minority voter
apathy. If it is hopeless to elect a
representative that you believe
will really represent you, why
bother to register or vote?

. Studies show that for black
candidates to be elected from mul-
tlmember districts, they need the
endorsement of influential white
groups. Once that black candidate
is elected, he or she must be an-
swerable to the white community
for re-election and is not primarily

1_u
accountable to the black i
nity. . .i! i'Some people argue that
member districts will I
ward politics and that no oneXl$ll
advocate the Sood of the
That same argument was
about city council district
sentation, but the
not turned out to be correcl -\

Still Purt Ol Vhole

Charlotte's district representa.
tives are still responsible for the
good of the whole city. Slmilarly
representatives from single-mem-
ber districts will still be responsl.
ble for the welfare of the whole
county, indeed, the whole state.
But they will also understand and
be responslve to the needs of their
particular constituencies.

The .right to vote is valuablc.
People should be allowed to use lt
intelligentlyand effectively.,';

l*slie Winner, 31, is an otton
ney at the Charlotte law tirm of
Chambers, Ferguson, Watt, Wal-
Ios, adlrins and Fuller, P.A. She is
one of the attorneys representing
the plaintiffs in Gtngles Vs. Ed.
misten, the lawsuit challenging
the apportionment of: |he N.C.
GeneralAssembly. ' ),.,

bef ore. them W;ffi.,":f;i*r,i, i!',11,iX""11'j,jll',-""11'":::t ii':-:' used. tsut a candidate gan cover ai Mecklenburg County is a large
i r'..lrthey should pull

: yilii:p*,.' 1i!:;jid:1il;;:ft:t. to get the best
r^6,^^^-l^f:^-

ii.r,i"rl'i.1;&; fffi,ffiffij . !lII}|.*9gqJ. 9iYld..9,itt" ISII . pensive media advertising must be the delegation's diversity.

re prese n tation

machine levers ti',$.}1. i,ffi;, - ::j:::.i::1:_:" :::'.'Y-:.,:'|'"^,'"' . pensive media advertlsing must be the delegation's diversity.

,hii',n;i',ti , ' i,^t13_i",iil'g:y*i'[I.li .r:.: i*lii:lr,:atr*:",,:"*iti::;t ;;y:l}i:tTlr;iuii;';"'ffgi
l".r?::#;"ffi',1 iliiii..,n.d citizens,o u,. iilil {.1},ifi'.',llil.';?i,1"i131,,}it'i:l lt::fl:loHf;',::X':X';1?';'d:?:
i;'R;i;igh:-''-i- ffi? . votesef.fectiu!ll'... ,- ,- -... -- ,'iiioia lo-uJ'erected is increased,.: oush debate of issues. The effects

rr essarybecausecurrentapporrion- should be by'single-member dis'. ,."ili;"o;;;;;iil;'ir;;;';iuy - iriis;r;"ctis;iparticurarim-,i :li[i"i{,ffi:*;i:#i#'tf;lt lll"j],.r"u rrrip-,. ,epre::r.r1- lli u1l"'J[iu;.*;iillmr;i;i n;ii{:it-1::-'lxil??,'tftfr;:, Ienburg County to be etectCo-it tives for a single lu!9!i-ctt_on ;cost of running foi a alitrtct seat','his oveT too,oo0 
-btack-residenti,

1 large. -Since ulcktenburg is enti- makes representativel s!:[.,L!'tt. is many times Iower than the cost more than enough to comprise

,, ,state goise aria (11on; wittr Ci: ents. This conclusion is backed by - ., 'never 
elected a black member to

. : barrus County) iour -rtatr : siri- ::: studies of political scientists.. - , . Multinlqmbeq districts resul(. tire state AourJ 
-

i atorc, u"cfi v6ie{iJi,rupp6ieqi-oi.l...Acitlzenwithaproblemisless ''in'relatively homogenous dele-\'ih;;;;;;;tharthose100,000::f ieteci tZ. : .ii;tlt,".+*t'IiJ:ii- ;'likelytoknowwhoto.",l]:I9one g.ations because each representa- btack residenrs are--a-minority
,;.';.ii.'..,]'ii-r.' ,'personis"his"representativeand'tivemustbeelectedbya-majority mixed in with the SOO,OOO whii!:-t

. ---ii-wf,i" 
beira' Wft$ffrei: 

^,Bj:J3:.::":j::.E 
j:l:lg. ino tre inituenceof laieC poiiti;i, or proposed tegislation on alr seg-: 

"oniurini 
"i,pl 

. n,__-.,' ' :-.. o.f many reasons why the 
"p!p,l: ';;ti;;;;;;iti;;-;";d";il;. ;"";;ii;i;fffffi;;;;""i

.."i, iriit. iia- :, ,l Winner ' 1'::T,*j:lll.^,9:1,^.T11:1.-rly weaitt v coniiiuutors is oecreaseo. unanticipated r6sulti avoided.

I' ttutt'tLul''t!/.nrl".. .jr..,_ ,accountabilitydecreases. Itishard whoaren'tamaJorityofthe-popu-
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to keep track of how t2 people 1atlon can nevei eleit a repiesin- The experience in Mecklenburg
Even for the mg9! av_id political voted on issues of concern._ 

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tative. Working people, ruial peo- County is'noi unique to the statel:i observers, it is difficult to learn- . Multimember districts in- pie, ana poorliopie itt Oesirve m tgAO, ay;,oigf, Ziy.;i ih;I the views and opinions of-22 can- ,crease the cost of-campaigni-ng. In iepreseniation. Single-member sr.ate's population-was biick, onty1, didates. Name recognition and 'order 

to reach 400,000 people, ex. diitricts will predicta"bly increase S out ' qt 120 representativeii,/
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