Findings compiled from first ever commissioner conference 

WASHINGTON—Today, the leading redistricting reform organization, Common Cause, published a new report outlining the steps to securing fair voting maps at every level of government. The report, “The Roadmap for Fair Maps in 2030,” provides a detailed summary of the conclusions from the first ever convening of people-led redistricting commissioners from across the country.

“We’ve brought independent redistricting to communities big and small, and the outcome has consistently been fair maps for the voters” said Dan Vicuña, Common Cause Director of Redistricting & Representation. “Our new report compiles the keys to success from people-led commissions who have already seen what works when it comes to empowering voters. There’s a reason why there’s growing momentum for independent commissions and our report offers the common denominators to success.”

In December 2023, Common Cause gathered citizen redistricting commissioners from 14 commissions in 10 different states to participate in the first ever national conference of commissioners. The commissioners represented their home states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. The report’s findings draw from the commissioners’ feedback and firsthand experiences from participating in an independent process in 2021.

Todos los comisionados consideraron que, en general, las comisiones independientes eran la mejor manera de crear un proceso accesible, inclusivo y transparente para la comunidad. Los comisionados también coincidieron en que las comisiones independientes eran la mejor manera de incluir y reflejar la diversidad racial y étnica de las localidades. Más específicamente, el informe destacó varias áreas de consenso para el éxito:  

• Restablecimiento de la Ley de Derecho al Voto, incluido el restablecimiento de la autorización previa  
• Conectando la difusión comunitaria desde el Censo hasta la redistribución de distritos  
• Asegurarse de que los comisionados reflejen la diversidad de la localidad o el estado 
• Incluir a las organizaciones comunitarias y a los líderes comunitarios para generar confianza y aceptación. 

Common Cause has long been a leading voice in the effort to bring independent redistricting commissions to every state in the country. The organization started the effort by bringing independent redistricting to California in 2008 so that voters could elect representatives in an inclusive and transparent process. In stark contrast to states without independent commissions that are mired in legal battles, California drew fair maps for state assembly, senate, and Congress in 2021, without a single lawsuit filed.

The report also provides a list of cities and states where efforts to bring independent commissions for 2030 redistricting are currently underway, including the City of Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Common Cause also offers warnings about emerging technologies so that they don’t serve as obstacles to participation, particularly less well-known technologies like artificial intelligence. In the report, the oaganization advises independent commissions “will need to build guardrails to mediate the threats of AI-generated input such as fake written testimony or maps generated by partisan actors but made to look community-focused.”

The report is a follow-up to the 2023 report that graded all 50 states on their redistricting process, again finding independent commissions was the most powerful and effective of reforms. The report took a close look at how communities, particularly communities of color, faired in the process in each state. 

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To read the report, haga clic aquí.