Dear Friend,

I am writing to ask you to vote "no" on at-large in November's 
election.  It's the last question on the ballot, and I'll be 
voting no as well.  

The question is asking whether to add two at-large seats (elected
citywide) to Urbana's City Council.  Currently our council is elected
from neighborhood districts called "wards."  This system of direct
representation ensures that your council representative knows who you
are and what you care about.  While at first glance it might seem that
adding representatives would be a positive, at-large is full of
negatives for Urbana. 

Because at-large candidates can't knock on every door in town, they
often knock on very few of them.  Instead, they replace that personal
contact with media saturation.  This saturation requires large
financial contributions.  In other words, at-large races can be bought,
while ward races cannot (i.e. two at-large school board seats in
Champaign recently cost a combined $25,000, while a typical ward race
might cost $1,000).  At a time when every other level of government in
this country is corrupted by special interest money, why would we want
to bring this home to Urbana?

Over 250 cities across the country have recently eliminated at-large
from their city councils.  Almost nobody adds at-large to a ward
system.  This question was thrown onto the ballot at the last minute. 
There was no formal study or public hearing.  We shouldn't change our
form of government on a political whim.

One idea behind at-large seats for Urbana is that it will give everyone
more voice.  Unfortunately, it gives some people more voice at the
expense of others.  At-large dilutes the minority vote.  This is
documented fact evidenced by 35 years of scientific research, and
further supported by examples from all around us in central Illinois.

I am not alone in voting no on this question.  Organizations standing
behind me include the NAACP, Champaign County Branch; the Champaign
County Democratic Party; United Citizen's and Neighbors, the
neighborhood association from Northwest Urbana; the UIUC College
Democrats; and the Independent Voters of Illinois.

I am concerned about the welfare of Urbana because we have critical
needs.  But in order to find answers to Urbana's problems, we have to
work on the real issues.  I feel that the at-large question is a
diversion from these issues, and I hope you'll vote "no" on at-large.

Sincerely,
YOU

p.s. you can read a lot more information about this topic at 
http://www.noatlarge.org .
p.p.s. please forward this on to your friends.