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Redistricting, and the Third Leg of Democracy
BY EDWARD WOODS, III
W

hen you consider the three-legged stool of democracy, we rattle off census and voting, but often forget about redistricting. The Census counts and tracks the population in the United States. Voting gives the right of the population to participate in the election process. However, redistricting establishes voting districts throughout the population for local, county, state, and national elections. Like the census, redistricting takes place every 10 years.

The census has real financial impact in the nation’s communities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 10 years each person brings in revenue to his or her community to the tune of $1,800 per year, totaling $18,000. So, clearly, everyone counts, and everyone matters.

Voting also has real civic impact. We’ve learned that one vote can make a difference. We hold dear the historic fight for women and people of color to obtain the right to vote. Unfortunately, unlike either the census or voting, redistricting fails to capture the attention of many. Its import flies under the radar, but somebody is watching.

Gerrymandering Lessens Power

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“Politicians often use their redistricting power to redraw lines in their party’s favor—a practice known as gerrymandering” explains the Brennan Center for Justice. In addition to favoring a particular party, gerrymandering distorts election results, decreases the chance of competitive races, and gives the impression that some voices won’t, or don’t, matter.

Katie Fahey, an independent political activist, expressed her frustration in a 2016 Facebook post. “I’d like to take on gerrymandering in Michigan. If you’re interested in doing this as well, please let me know.” Her post served as a rallying cry, bringing together people interested in fair and competitive elections, now called Voters Not Politicians.

Voters Not Politicians garnered the attention of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former President Barack Obama. It drew millions of dollars to the cause of Proposal 2018-2 that created the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The Commission is responsible for drawing Michigan’s Congressional, House, and Senate districts for the 2022 election cycle.

“Where they have been adopted, redistricting reforms have been an overwhelming success. California and other states with commissions have experienced less contentiousness and less litigation while improving transparency, partisan competition, and creating a better fit between legislative outcomes and voters’ desires.”

Real Life Detriment

SLAY THE DRAGON: Voter Suppression and American Democracy, a documentary released in 2019, illustrated how gerrymandering led to the Flint Water Crisis in 2014. Because of gerrymandering, posits the film, most lawmakers had no fear of getting re-elected. They passed the Emergency Manager Law (Michigan Public Act 436) which empowered the governor to appoint emergency managers in economically depressed municipalities and school districts. These managers acted without accountability to duly-elected local officials or the citizens who elected them. In their near absolute power, these managers could break union contracts, ignore local ordinances, and sell city assets.

In addition to the Flint Water Crisis, examined the impact of gerrymandering on the 2012 Presidential Election, when President Barack Obama won his second election. While the voting population voted overwhelmingly Democrat in Michigan statewide, the majority of seats for the United States House of Representatives went to Republicans in Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Advocate for Reform

To prevent some votes from counting more than others when lawmakers draw redistricting lines, the Brennan Center’s solution against extreme gerrymandering is to create independent redistricting commissions in every state and ensure legal protections. To learn more about your state’s redistricting process, visit State Redistricting Websites (ncsl.org) and protect this third leg of democracy.

Edward Woods III serves as the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director for Lake Region Conference and the Conscience & Justice Council Chairperson.

Independent Commissions:

  • include members who are independents as well as Democrats and Republicans;
  • are large enough to reflect the demographic and geographic diversity of a state;
  • have strong conflict of interest rules and a vetting process that screens potential commissioners for their fitness to do the job;
  • have clear, prioritized rules to guide map-drawing, including a ban on favoring particular political parties or candidates; and
  • have strong rules on transparency and public participation to ensure that the public can meaningfully engage in, and help shape the process.
–from Brennan Center for Justice, Brennancenter.org, Democracy: An Election Agenda for Candidates, Activists, and Legislators, pp. 32-33.
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