Gerrymander Gazette: Exorcising Satan from Redistricting Edition

Trainings and Events

• The newly formed Coalition Hub for Advancing Redistricting & Grassroots Engagement (CHARGE) is pleased to invite you to join our Redistricting Community College trainings. This workshop is designed for all levels, whether you are new to redistricting or have been working on it for years. This is NOT a webinar, it is an interactive workshop which will include a mix of presentations, panels and breakouts where you will learn with participants in your region. Please only register if you will be able to show up and participate fully in the small breakout sessions. We have three dates that you can sign up for: April 30, May 12 or May 22. Each date will offer the same curriculum and is four hours long.

The Redistricting Community College curriculum includes an Introduction, the Voting Rights Act, Community Mapping, Rules and Timelines, Providing Testimony and Improving Transparency, and Building Coalitions.

• Friday, April 30, 2021: 1 pm – 5 pm ET / 12 pm – 4 pm CT / 11 am – 3 pm MT / 10 am – 2 pm PT / 7 am – 11 am HI. Register here.
• Wednesday, May 12, 2021: 3 pm – 7 pm ET / 2 pm – 6 pm CT / 1 pm – 5 pm MT / 12 pm – 4 pm PT / 9 am – 1 pm HI. Register here.
• Saturday, May 22, 2021: 12 pm – 4 pm ET / 11 am – 3 pm CT / 10 am – 2 pm MT / 9 am – 1 pm PT / 6 am – 10 am HI. Register here.

• Join the League of Women Voters at 4:30pm ET on April 27th for a friendbank to share the April 29th People Powered Day of Action with our friends and family! You can help us spread the word and encourage people you know to find an event near them. Register for the friendbank here! #PeoplePoweredAction2021

• The League of Women Voters of San Francisco is hosting a free online event about the local redistricting process and its plans to amplify public input in how the city’s maps are drawn. The People Powered Local Districting event will take place on Thursday, April 29, 6:00 pm. Attendees will discover why and how they, their neighbors, and their community can participate in the local redistricting process. Register for the event here and learn more about San Francisco redistricting here.

News

• 🚨HEADLINE OF THE WEEK ALERT🚨: Kentucky Republican lawmakers should exorcise Satan from the redistricting process. Courier Journal, April 12, 2021

• As some states rush to redistrict, gerrymandering fight moves to back burner: With census data delayed, some states using survey to draw lines. Roll Call, April 15, 2021

• Oregon House reaches deal to avoid slowdowns. The Oregonian, April 15, 2021. “Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the Oregon House reached a deal late Wednesday that will significantly speed up the pace of the 2021 legislative session. The agreement also means Republicans will have more to say about how the state’s political boundaries will look for the next decade.”

• Arizona Redistricting commission hopes to interview mapping consultants next week. AZ Mirror, April 13, 2021

• Indiana Lawmakers Plan To Push Back End Of Session For Delayed Redistricting. WBOI, April 12, 2021

• 2022 Primary Elections Likely to be Delayed, Candidate Filing Window Tightened: A bill approved by the Texas Senate would tighten the filing period for candidates and push back the 2022 primary elections depending on when redistricting is completed. The Texan, April 12, 2021

Resources, materials, tools, & guides

• The team at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center that developed the Census 2020 Hard to Count map, has launched a new online map called “Redistricting & You” to provide a first look at how current congressional and state legislative districts may need to change. The map uses color-shading displays to show how each district is larger or smaller than each state’s average district size, as an indication of which districts will need to expand or shrink during redistricting. Until the actual 2020 Census results are published, the map uses the latest population estimates from the American Community Survey (through 2019). The map also shows population change by district since 2010, and race/Hispanic origin characteristics by district. We will update the map when the official apportionment numbers are released, and when the 2020 data is published by the Census Bureau. See the map here and learn more here.

• The Daily Brew: A look at upcoming redistricting deadlines by state. Ballotpedia, April 13, 2021

Job postings

• The Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission is seeking outside legal services. Interested parties should go to this webpage and scroll down to the RFI for Legal Services. Responses to the request for information should be submitted by April 23.

• The Los Angeles County Citizens Redistricting Commission is seeking a demography and mapping consultant. Applications are due April 28, 2021.

• The City and County of San Francisco Elections Commission has opened applications for its three seats on the city’s Redistricting Task Force. Applications are due Monday, May 3, 2021 at 5:00 pm PT.

• The New Mexico State Ethics Commission is now accepting applications for the state’s newly created Citizen Redistricting Committee. Applications are due May 21, 2021.

• California Common Cause is hiring a Los Angeles Local Redistricting Organizer. This person will work with Los Angeles County community organizations and community leaders to educate, engage, and empower community members to make their voices heard in city council, county board of supervisor, and school board redistricting processes.

• MALDEF is hiring national and regional staff to work on redistricting outreach. Coordinators will be based in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, and Washington, DC.