Let me clear something up first: I am not old enough to vote yet. However, my school’s social science department sponsored a school-wide mock election on Prop 50 that woke me from a college application, schoolwork, and internship-induced stupor and rallied me, in the middle of my economics classroom, to launch into hearty debate with my classmates.

Where I Cast My Ballot

When gerrymandering was first brought up in my eighth grade U.S. history class, its purpose was clear: to take power away from minority votes. It began long ago in parts of the U.S. to silence the voices of immigrants, African Americans, and minority parties — and yet, there it was printed plainly on the California ballot.

Because Prop 50 purposefully makes the Republican vote count for less, I cannot accept any kind of argument that it will enhance our democracy in any way. It was in retribution to Texas doing the same, but I don’t believe the way to combat an un-democratic practice is to pass an equally un-democratic proposition.

Democracy only works if people show up to vote with a feeling of efficacy, or, put simply, the belief that in voting, their opinion will be heard, respected, and defended regardless of what it is or where they live. For many Republican and independent voters, Prop 50 would strip them of this right.

The bottom line

I believe that giving unequal votes unequal weight in order to benefit a specific political party is unconstitutional. I believe that regardless of what other states are doing, gerrymandering will only further polarize our political climate and deny voters of the sacred right of being considered alongside everyone else. Democracy was not built for political parties, and was never intended to put legislators at the center. Democracy was always made to be run by and built for the people.