When redistricting is done fairly, each person’s vote is equal to every other person’s because their districts are drawn in ways that accurately represent the voting power of the people within them.
When redistricting is done unfairly, however, and maps are created to favor one party (partisan gerrymandering) or with race as the predominant factor (racial gerrymandering), voters in certain districts are given more power than others.
This opinion was originally published in the CT Mirror.
LWVCT president Laura Smits co-wrote this opinion about the importance of fair maps in Connecticut.
LWVUS and LWV of Alabama stood in solidarity with Alabama voters in Merrill v. Milligan as it was heard before the US Supreme Court. Both Leagues had previously submitted an amicus brief in support of the Milligan plaintiffs.
In September 2019, the League launched its national redistricting effort People Powered Fair Maps™ (PPFM).
PPFM aimed to create greater transparency, fairness, and public participation in the redistricting process, which determines voting access, partisan representation, and federal funding for communities across the country.
The state’s highest court heard arguments on Tuesday on whether to uphold earlier rulings that voided maps drawn by Democrats as illegal gerrymanders.
In November of 2018, voters passed ballot initiatives in three states to curb gerrymandering by reforming the redistricting process. Four years later, as redistricting battles once again sweep the nation, it’s time to look back at what those initiatives accomplished, and what still needs to be done.
The 2021 redistricting cycle was the first one without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act. Without federal oversight, many states and local municipalities have used this advantage to implement racially gerrymandered maps, i.e. district lines that limit the voting power of voters of color.
March 26th marks the anniversary of the landmark Rucho v. League of Women Voters of North Carolina (also known as Rucho v. Common Cause) Supreme Court oral arguments. The Supreme Court's ultimate decision, that federal courts cannot make determinations on partisan gerrymandering, would have major consequences for representation across our democracy.
We spoke with Allison Riggs, who was chosen to represent the plaintiffs and argued the case before the Supreme Court. Now, Riggs, who is now co-executive director and chief counsel for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, gives us her first-hand account of what happened in the courts.
On Sunday evening, the ACLU of Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Covington & Burling LLP filed a motion to intervene as defendants in a federal lawsuit, Michael Gonidakis v Ohio Redistricting Commission. The voting rights groups request that the Court stay this case pending final resolution of the proceedings before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down Ohio’s 2021 state and congressional maps due to partisan gerrymandering. We spoke with the League of Women Voters of Ohio's executive director, Jen Miller, about the work Leagues are doing to ensure fair and equitable maps in Ohio.