Gerrymandering/Redistricting

Capital Region Council of Governments (CapCOG) – a council of governments that represents 40 Boroughs, Cities and Townships surrounding Harrisburg – passed a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to end partisan gerrymandering. The CapCOG resolution follows in the footsteps of the Cumberland County, Pittsburgh City Council, and Swarthmore Borough Council resolutions, demanding an end to partisan gerrymandering by way of a constitutional amendment.

The number of Wisconsin Assembly and State Senate legislative districts in 2016 that can be considered even remotely competitive this November is just 10 percent of the total – one of the fewest number of competitive state legislative districts on record – according to election data compiled by Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI).

Not so long ago, Wisconsin was heralded as a national model for clean, accountable and open government. Other states sought to emulate Wisconsin’s system of government. We cannot say this today. Perhaps the most notable reason is the unwillingness of our legislators to pass or even discuss nonpartisan redistricting of Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative districts.

The Special Interim Committee should be called upon and encouraged to draft a strong reform proposal which should include a citizen-led redistricting commission that will draw districts according to a set of statutory guidelines. Reform of the redistricting process before the next round of maps are drawn in 2021 is critical to the future of the electoral process.

The time for independent redistricting reform in Georgia is now. States similar to Georgia are already tackling this tough issue.

Welcome to the third edition of the Gerrymander Gazette, Common Cause’s newsletter on redistricting reform efforts around the country.