Gerrymandering/Redistricting

Today the U.S. Supreme Court voted 8-0 in Evenwel v. Abbott to allow states to continue to count total population when drawing state legislative districts after each census. The plaintiffs sought an unprecedented change to the U.S. Constitution forbidding states from using census counts of total population and requiring them to draw districts with equal number of voters. The City of Los Angeles was a lead drafter of a brief Common Cause organized that the Los Angeles County, San Francisco, and 16 other counties and cities across the country joined to oppose this change.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court voted 8-0 in Evenwel v. Abbott to allow states to continue to count total population when drawing state legislative districts after each census. The plaintiffs sought an unprecedented change to the U.S. Constitution forbidding states from using census counts of total population and requiring them to draw districts with equal number of voters. The City of Atlanta joined a brief Common Cause organized along with 18 other counties and cities across the country to oppose this change. Atlanta attorney and Common Cause National Governing Board member Emmet Bondurant drafted a second brief that Common Cause signed.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court voted 8-0 in Evenwel v. Abbott to allow states to continue to count total population when drawing state legislative districts after each census. The plaintiffs sought an unprecedented change to the U.S. Constitution forbidding states from using census counts of total population and requiring them to draw districts with equal number of voters.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court voted 8-0 in Evenwel v. Abbott to allow states to continue to count total population when drawing state legislative districts after each census. The plaintiffs sought an unprecedented change to the U.S. Constitution forbidding states from using census counts of total population and requiring them to draw districts with equal number of voters.

“Today’s decision affirms one of our most fundamental values as Americans: that every person counts. We now turn our attention to the states to monitor and combat any effort to deprive millions of young people, non-citizen residents, and other non-voters of constitutional protections. Our nation’s charter begins with the words ‘We the People;’ that means everyone – not just those who vote – is entitled to equal representation at every level of government.”

Students at NC A&T State University, the nation's largest historically black college or university, recently spoke out against new congressional voting maps that leave their campus split into two districts.