IT’S OPEN SEASON FOR GERRYMANDERING: CENSUS DATA RELEASED THURSDAY
Without reform, states can draw unfair voting maps that will be in place for next decade
August 11, 2021 (Florence, Mass.): It’s officially open season for gerrymandering. Once the U.S. Census publishes long-awaited population data Thursday, states and localities can begin the redistricting process. Partisan gerrymandering rigs elections by allowing politicians to pick their voters and suppress competition.
Even though a RepresentUs poll shows that more than 90 percent of voters oppose gerrymandering, most states have limited constraints on politicians drawing unfair maps. Thirty-five states are at high or extreme risk of partisan map-drawing, according to the RepresentUs Gerrymandering Threat Index. This cycle, gerrymanderers will be aided by supercomputing power that did not exist 10 years ago.
As states release their redrawn voting maps, they will be graded by the Redistricting Report Card, a partnership between RepresentUs and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project. The Redistricting Report Card uses a powerful and unique set of analytics to detect gerrymandering, rating each state’s maps on criteria that includes partisan fairness, competition and geography.
“States have long been preparing for this moment, and they now have the green light to start gerrymandering. If left unchecked, this year’s redistricting cycle represents a severe threat to our democracy,” said RepresentUs CEO Josh Silver. “Gerrymandering is one of the worst forms of political corruption, and leads to extremism and partisan gridlock. The maps drawn this year will shape American politics and policy for the next decade.”
The U.S. Senate has a window to act to prevent partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts by passing the For the People Act. But this week, Republicans filibustered the full For the People Act for the second time, as well as standalone bills that would have limited partisan gerrymandering and required disclosure of dark money donors.
“There’s still time to stop states from locking in gerrymandered maps for the next decade, but there is no time to waste,” said Silver. “As soon as the Senate comes back from recess, they must immediately pass anti-gerrymandering legislation by any means necessary. If they fail, we face a nightmare gerrymandering scenario that will have huge negative ramifications on our democracy.”
RepresentUs created an Anti-Gerrymandering Resource Hub for members to learn about the problem and take action in their communities.
Contact:
Rachel Barnhart, PR Director
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RepresentUs is the nation’s largest grassroots anti-corruption organization, bringing together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass anti-corruption laws in cities and states to stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.