October 21, 2021
A slimmed down voting rights bill failed – as expected – in the senate today. It needed 60 votes. Zero republicans voted for it.
But when it comes to voting rights – there’s likely something happening in your backyard right now that’ll significantly impact who gets elected. And I’m not talking about elected to the office of the president of the United States. I’m talking about something arguably more important. Elected to state offices and congress. And it’ll be done before the 2022 mid-term elections.
So what’s going on?
It’s called redistricting. And on its surface, it’s super boring
But its results will impact your everyday life.
This is the current district map for the 117th congress.
Redistricting is the redrawing of electoral district boundaries on a map. It happens every ten years.
Since our system is based on the idea of representation based on population –redistricting happens after the census results have been released. And it’s happening across the country right now. State legislatures and governors are responsible for drawing those district lines. Some have delegated the responsibility to local commissions. Every state has a different process.
Now, sometimes you’ll hear the word gerrymandering associated with redistricting. Gerrymandering is *not* new. It’s the process of redrawing those electoral district lines for one party’s political gain over another. And according the supreme court – it’s technically legal.
Generally let me show you how redistricting can turn into gerrymandering real fast.
These are actual current district boundaries. Some say – these are extreme gerrymandering cases.
So – what can you do? Get involved. These redistricting meetings are happening right now in your state and your communities. Show up. Understand what the redrawing of the district lines means for you and voice your opinion.
117th congress district map here.
