What is redistricting — and what’s happening?

Neugliederung der Wahlbezirke
Every ten years, after the Census, states redraw legislative and congressional districts so that each district has roughly the same number of people. When it’s done right, communities have a real say, the process is transparent, and the result is fair representation—not a political advantage for those in power.

Gerrymandering
That’s when politicians manipulate the lines to keep themselves in office or shut voters out—splitting neighborhoods, diluting the voices of Black, Latino, and other communities, and letting lawmakers choose their voters instead of voters choosing their lawmakers.

Mid‑decade redistricting
Instead of waiting for new Census data, politicians redraw maps between Censuses to gain short‑term power. Off‑cycle redraws sideline public input, disrupt elections, and invite endless map‑rigging driven by politics—not people.

Why now?

This mid‑cycle rush didn’t come out of nowhere. It accelerated when Trump’s team pressed Texas leaders to find more seats before 2026—and Governor Greg Abbott responded by calling a 30‑day special session to redraw congressional maps im Augenblick, mid‑decade.

Fair redistricting normally takes months. Communities organize, attend hearings, and speak up. This time, Abbott and his allies are planning to push new maps behind closed doors—fast, with minimal public input.

And make no mistake: Abbott isn’t trying to produce fairer representation for Texans—he’s trying to skew the maps in favor of Trump and his allies.

Redistricting should reflect communities—not politicians

Trump recently signed an unpopular agenda that puts over 1.6 million Texans at risk of losing healthcare coverage and threatens food aid for more than 3 million Texans. His team fears voters will hold their allies accountable, including the 25 Texas Republican representatives.

Under pressure, Abbott is forcing the state through another contentious redistricting process years ahead of schedule. Expect radical maps that carve up districts with large Black and brown communities—splitting voters apart to dilute their power and deny fair representation.

This is a blatant power grab designed to suppress marginalized voters and rewrite the rules to benefit those already in power.

Protect the integrity of redistricting

If Texas succeeds, it could trigger a nationwide race to the bottom where, no matter who holds power, voters lose. We’re prepared to fight like hell to stop mid‑decade map‑rigging in Texas—and anywhere else politicians try to steal our right to fair representation.

We sued after Texas politicians tried similar tactics in the last cycle, and our allies are still in court on related maps. Now, before judges even rule, Trump, Abbott, and their allies want to start over—because they’re afraid of losing fair elections.

So we’re sending letters to lawmakers, mobilizing volunteers, and planning visits to the state capitol. We’ve got the truth and the law on our side—and when we organize, we’ll have the people on our side too.

Unsere Position

We oppose gerrymandering on principle—no matter who does it. Independent citizen redistricting commissions are the best way to achieve fair representation. As mid‑decade pushes escalate, we are focusing resources where voters face the most urgent threats. We evaluate every map—red, blue, or purple—against clear fairness criteria: equal population, Voting Rights Act compliance, protection of communities of interest, geographic compactness, respect for political subdivisions, and transparency with robust public input.

Read our full policy: Policy Statement on Mid‑Decade Redistricting Response

From our President & CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón

I’ll cut to the chase – Common Cause will not pre‑emptively oppose mid‑decade redistricting in California.

President Trump and Republican leaders in states like Texas are doing all they can to prevent the people from having a say in our future – enabling them to concentrate power as they cut our healthcare, kidnap our neighbors, and occupy our cities.

Simply put, we must focus our limited resources on that larger threat. We won’t call for unilateral political disarmament in the face of authoritarianism – or let our country’s balance of power be decided not by the voters, but by the will of one political party.

That doesn’t require changing our core principles. Independent redistricting commissions are one way – and by far the best way – to draw fair maps and achieve fair representation for every single American.

We oppose gerrymandering on principle – no matter who is doing it. We’ll evaluate any new maps proposed – in red, blue, and purple states – by our fairness criteria so we can respond to the most urgent threats to fair representation and put people, not parties, first.

Two wrongs don’t make a right – and the Texas GOP’s decision to set off a nationwide race to the bottom on redistricting is going to leave voters in every state that tries it worse off – blue, red, or purple.

— Virginia Kase Solomón, President & CEO

What’s at stake

• House control without more votes: By manipulating district lines, a party can secure a U.S. House majority without winning more voters—short‑circuiting accountability and distorting national policy.
• Community voice: Off‑cycle redraws often split Black, Latino, and other communities of interest, diluting representation and undermining the Voting Rights Act.
• Endless instability: Constantly changing who represents whom shatters trust and makes it harder for people to know their districts and hold leaders accountable.
• Wasted tax dollars: Litigation and rushed processes cost the public while politicians chase short‑term advantage.
• Erosion of norms: Breaking the once‑a‑decade cycle invites permanent “map wars,” where power—not people—decides outcomes.

Policy Reform

• Advancing independent redistricting commissions in multiple states.
• Championing the Gesetz zur Wahlfreiheit to set national redistricting standards.
• Securing transparency Und public input requirements.

State & Grassroots Work

• CHARGE — training local leaders to engage in and monitor redistricting.
• Mobilizing thousands to submit testimony, attend hearings, and hold map‑drawers accountable.