Redistricting—Fair Maps This Time
Voting district maps will be redrawn in 2021, and many in Wisconsin would like the new ones to be washed clean of heavy-handed political fingerprints. Political mapmaking happens every ten years following the release of census data. But when partisan politics claims an overly intrusive role in this mapmaking, the process—which is called redistricting—can hand the party in power a path to retain that power. It is a problem when this power is retained despite the will of the voters. Technology, as described in this 2019 WIRED article, now provides the means for creating finely carved voting districts that can reliably deliver desired results. Fortunately, that same technology also provides proof of voter suppression if it exists.
This week, the working group on Fair Maps for Wisconsin walks us through what we all need to know about redistricting and what we, as individuals, can do to help fight for Fair Maps.
Redistricting (creating voting districts) happens once every ten years after the U.S. census data is received by the state. Based on changes in population reflected in census data, the voting districts for State Senate, State Assembly, and U.S. House of Representatives are redrawn. The voting districts are the foundation blocks of our democracy.
The Process
County and municipality officials enter data into an electronic database (WISE-Decade) twice each year about changes in their populations. The state legislature, upon receipt of the U.S. census data, then should utilize the database to finalize the voting districts. The Legislative Reference Bureau and the Legislative Technology Service Bureau (nonpartisan groups) provide guidance and assistance for the process. The Governor must approve or veto the Legislature’s maps. If the Governor vetoes the maps, the state court system makes the decisions. This is the way the process is supposed to work.
Gerrymandering involves drawing the district maps so as to give political advantage to one political party over the other. Over the years, both Democrats and Republicans have gerrymandered. After the 2010 census, the majority party in the Wisconsin Legislature gerrymandered the maps to keep themselves in power. Election results since then have shown that the Republicans have controlled the majority of district seats in the Legislature despite getting far fewer votes across the state than Democrats. Wisconsin deserves Fair Maps, not gerrymandered maps.
Republicans have petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court to amend a Wisconsin statute so as to allow our highest court to hear any legal challenges to redistricting issues under what is called “original jurisdiction.” Such a ruling would mean that no lower courts will research legal precedence and analyze and decide on any challenges to the proposed redistricting.
Furthermore, the rule change will guarantee that only politicians can be plaintiffs in such litigation. Under this rule change and amended statute, other interested parties, like individual voters, are not guaranteed that they will be allowed to intervene in the case. Hence, with only politicians as plaintiffs, the litigation will necessarily be partisan in nature. Our state would not end up with voting districts based exclusively on the changes in population in the census data as the Constitution describes.
In January 2020, Governor Evers signed an executive order creating a nonpartisan People’s Maps Commission to address partisan gerrymandering. Governor Evers said on that occasion:
“I believe when it comes to integrity in the process and fairness of the maps, Wisconsin must look to the people, not to politicians, to assist in drawing maps that are fairly and accurately representing our state.”
—State of the State Address, January, 2020
—Executive order #66
On July 9, 2020, Governor Evers opened the process for citizens to apply to serve on the commission. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2020. Three judges will select the members of the commission, one from each Congressional district in the state. The commission will hold public hearings in each district to hear input from the voters.
What You Can Do Now
If you would like to apply to serve on the commission, you can access the application here. The deadline is July 31, 2020.
Participate in the People’s Maps Commission by attending and testifying in the public hearings.
Contact the legislators in your district and hold them accountable for voting for Fair Maps.
Inform yourself of every action made in regard to redistricting and the map drawing process over the coming months to ensure a representative government.
Splash photo from Washington Post
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