Gerrymandering/Redistricting

Tonight, Ohio voters approved a historic state constitutional amendment that will institute strong protections against partisan political gerrymandering in congressional redistricting. After democracy advocates collected over 200,000 signatures to place a redistricting initiative on the 2018 ballot, the Ohio General Assembly voted to place Issue 1 on the May ballot with a strong bipartisan vote. Today Ohioans voted to ratify the measure.

Hidden donors with apparent connections to corporate interests and Republican activists appear to be funding efforts to block a nonpartisan, anti-gerrymandering initiative.

Today, Common Cause filed a motion with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the justices to uphold a landmark ruling striking down partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina.

As 2018 congressional races heat up, Common Cause is once again tracking the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. Members of the House and Senate have received letters asking them to co-sponsor and support more than a dozen democracy reform bills and informing them that their co-sponsorship record will be published to our 1.1 million members during the lead-up to Election Day in Common Cause’s “Democracy Scorecard.”

Pennsylvanians should be choosing their elected representatives, not the other way around. The courts made that abundantly clear when they threw out the hideously biased map drawn by the legislature. But yesterday Pennsylvania House State Government Chair Daryl Metcalfe revealed that he missed the message and that he and, certain lawmakers remain unwilling to show due deference to the citizens, the constitution or the welfare of our state.

The fight for redistricting reform is progressing in the courts, at the grassroots, and in the halls of government across America.