Totally normal celebrity Jennifer Lawrence is the latest pop culture figure urging Coloradans to vote in favor of two anti-gerrymandering measures on the state’s ballot.
The 51-second ad features the Oscar-winning actress explaining why she believes Coloradans should vote "yes" on Amendment Y and Amendment Z. It’s paid by Fair Maps Colorado, the primary backer of the two measures.
The two measures would establish 12-member independent panels responsible for drawing maps for congressional (Amendment Y) and state legislative districts (Amendment Z). The panels would include members from both major political parties and seek a more transparent redistricting process. The two measures were referred onto the ballot with bipartisan support from the state’s General Assembly.
“Y and Z ban gerrymandering and put an independent commission in charge of drawing voting maps, not politicians,” Lawrence says in the video. “It’s wrong when politicians pick their voters. Y and Z will fix the system so Colorado voters pick their representatives — not the other way around.”
Lawrence is the second celebrity to publicly come out in support of Amendment Y and Amendment Z in Colorado. Former Terminator and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger started tweeting out support for the measures this summer.
Schwarzenegger is even scheduled to be in Denver this weekend as part of his advocacy efforts. He’s scheduled to join John Hickenlooper and Fair Maps Co-Chair Kent Thiry for a "Terminate Gerrymandering" rally and tailgate at the University of Denver Campus Green on Saturday afternoon.
A release from Fair Maps Colorado, the major backer for the two measures, said Lawrence's appearance is part of her efforts to help pass reforms in the U.S. “that stop political bribery and fix our broken elections."
Fair Maps Colorado says the two measures have bipartisan support from both major parties, and this is repeated in Lawrence’s video. The organization was created by two groups seeking to revamp the state’s redistricting joined forces.
Fair Maps Colorado’s release said Lawrence is a board member of RepresentUs, a grassroots anti-corruption campaign supporting the two measures.
“The fact that Jennifer Lawrence is speaking up for Colorado voters shows just how important this initiative is,” co-leader of the Denver Chapter of RepresentUs Dan Silbaugh said. “It’s inspiring to see Jennifer Lawrence using her platform to help fix our broken political system.”
Since these two ballot measures seek to change the state constitution, they will need to earn a 55 percent majority in order to become law.
