To the editor:
What is redistricting?
Redistricting is the way in which we adjust the voting districts that determine who represents us. Most of our federal legislators, all of our state legislators, and many of our local legislators in towns and counties are elected from districts.
Districts were often defined or grouped by the geographical boundaries of towns or cities. As populations grew, they grew unevenly. If voting district lines weren’t adjusted, some districts got the same number of representatives as districts with as much as 400 times the population.
In the 1960s, U.S. Supreme Court rulings and the Federal Voting Rights Act mandated all states ensure voting districts have about the same population and protect the voice of minority populations in drawing district lines.
Because redistricting depends on population, it starts with the federal census every 10 years. Lines are adjusted as needed to keep district populations equal. The way that district lines are drawn puts voters together in groups. The lines can keep people with common interests together or split them apart. The way voters are bundled together in a district can make it easier or harder to elect a representative responsive to any given community. The district lines have the potential to change the composition of the legislature altogether.
The redistricting process is fundamental in influencing how our government works for us. Redistricting is how we as citizens make sure our voices are represented equally by creating districts that have nearly the same number of people in it.
Redistricting determines which candidate(s) appears on your ballot, where you can vote, and can influence whether your elected officials respond to your needs.
Indiana state legislature will be addressing the issue of redistricting during the next session, which begins in January 2021.
Working together, we as Indiana voters can ensure fair map redistricting through increased public input, accountability, and transparent processes.
Fair maps help ensure fair representation to achieve a more perfect democracy: One person, one vote. Voters should choose their elected representatives; representatives should not choose their voters.
We invite you to work with the League of Women Voters and All IN 4 Democracy to help make sure the districts are fair. Keep an eye on our website (lwvbrowncounty.org) or contact us for more information.
Laurie Teal, League of Women Voters of Brown County
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