Redistricting Reform Act: Ending Partisan Gerrymandering and Ensuring Fair Maps
This Act establishes nationwide standards for drawing congressional districts, aiming to eliminate partisan manipulation (gerrymandering). Citizens gain assurance that their votes matter, as districts must prioritize equal population, minority voting rights, and community cohesion over political party affiliation. The process will become significantly more transparent and open, requiring mandatory public hearings and online access to data, thereby increasing public influence over electoral map creation.
Key points
Ban on Partisan Favoritism: States cannot use redistricting plans drawn with the intent or effect of materially favoring or disfavoring any political party. Statistical tests are introduced to detect bias.
No Mid-Decade Changes: Once a state has completed redistricting, it cannot redraw the maps until after the next census, unless mandated by a court.
Prioritized Criteria: Districts must first comply with the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, and then prioritize 'communities of interest' and neighborhoods, explicitly excluding political party relationships.
Transparency and Public Input: State authorities must conduct an open process, hold public hearings across the state, and make all proposed maps, data, and public comments available on a dedicated, non-partisan website.
Federal Court Intervention: If a state fails to enact a compliant redistricting plan by the deadline, a 3-judge federal court will assume exclusive authority to develop and publish the new plan.
Expired
Citizen Poll