Redistricting
The epidemic of gerrymandering poses a growing threat to our democracy. It's an open secret: more and more legislative districts reflect calculations by those in power about how they can best preserve that power, and fewer and fewer give meaningful representation to communities of voters. Incumbents carve the citizens of their state into districts for maximum personal and partisan advantage, and democracy suffers: neighborhoods are split, competing candidates are drawn out of contention, groups of voters are ‘cracked' or ‘packed' to manipulate their voting power. We like to think that voters choose their politicians-but in the redistricting process, politicians choose their voters.
Well-designed redistricting systems, in contrast, can help ensure that elected public servants actually serve their public. Moreover, they can inspire public confidence in both a process and an outcome recognized as fair.
Redistricting For Advocates | State-By-State Advocacy
The Brennan Center has produced a variety of materials on redistricting including a 90-minute full training curriculum for advocates and analysis of reform proposals in states.
About the Brennan Center's Redistricting Work
Building on our analyses of successful and unsuccessful reform initiatives and our extensive study of redistricting practices nationwide, the Brennan Center offers top-flight legal and policy expertise to advocates and officials seeking to develop effective redistricting bills and initiatives. We facilitate consensus on policy goals and then translate those goals into language appropriate for legislation or ballot measures; we also review and analyze text drafted by others for potential constitutional and other legal concerns. Once legislation is introduced, Brennan Center attorneys accept invitations to deliver written and oral expert testimony, and offer strategic advice on building support for reform. The Brennan Center has also frequently filed friend-of-the-court briefs in redistricting litigation, especially those involving the use of redistricting for undue partisan gain or at the expense of minority voters.
The Brennan Center's publications and public advocacy further promote the values of meaningful redistricting reform: counting the population and redrawing the district lines in a way that is equitable, fair, and sensitive to diversity. Most recently, the Center offered A Citizen's Guide to Redistricting, a thorough but user-friendly review of the redistricting process that serves as a valuable primer for those new to the topic and a quick-reference guide for seasoned experts. Earlier publications include The Real Y2K Problem, an accessible analysis of the technical and legal issues facing legislators and reform advocates in redistricting, and Beyond the Color Line?, focusing on the ramifications of redistricting, and the litigation that often results, for race and representation. Brennan Center attorneys have also authored numerous law review articles, magazine pieces, and opinion pieces detailing the promises and challenges of redistricting in the public interest.
United States v. Village of Port Chester
Brennan Center represented Fair Vote in providing remedy to a Section 2 challenge against the Village of Port Chester.
LULAC v. Perry (Sup. Ct. consolidated cases) Session v. Perry (E.D. Tex.)
These Supreme Court cases arose from the Texas Legislature’s notorious mid-decade “re-redistricting” of the state’s congressional districts.
This case arose from a partisan gerrymander of Pennsylvania’s 19 Congressional districts following the 2000 census.
How Latinos Can Build Political Power in Port Chester, NY
On Friday, a federal judge settled a three-year dispute concerning how the Village of Port Chester elects its trustees. Latinos make up about half of Port Chester’s population, but no Latino had ever been elected within the Village. Read more…
Accounting for the Census Clause
In a recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, a pollster and constitutional law professor claim that counting undocumented persons in the census is unconstitutional. This argument not only misreads the constitution, but also ignores the good reasons behind the policy.
Drawing the Lines in Ohio: A Big Step Forward
Last week, the Secretary of State of Ohio experimented with new process of redistricting, inviting the public to draw their own district maps. This open model could revolutionize the way states think about redistricting reform.
Illustrations by Risko
Federal Bill Draws Needed Attention to Redistricting Reform
Today, Congressmen John Tanner (D-TN), Mike Castle (R-DE), and Allen Boyd (D-FL) proposed federal legislation that would substantially change the way congressional districts are drawn. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a national leader in the effort to draw fair districts, welcomed the return of the issue to national prominence.
NAMUDNO | Center Urges Supreme Court to Uphold a Key Provision of the Voting Rights Act
Brief filed in NAMUDNO. Provision essential to preserving voting rights of minorities.
Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting Released
The Brennan Center, George Mason University, and the Joyce Foundation are pleased to announce the release of A Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting, authored by Brennan Center counsel Justin Levitt.
Testimony of Justin Levitt before the Illinois Senate Redistricting Committee
Justin Levitt provides an overview of the need for reform in Illinois and highlights some important components effective reform should incorporate.
Testimony of Justin Levitt before the Indiana Census Data Advisory Committee
This testimony lays out an overview of the need to change Indiana’s redistricting process and details some important components of effective reform.
Testimony before the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Governmental Operations
Justin Levitt and Kahlil Williams advocate reforms that will create meaningful independence, diversity, and guidance in the redistricting process.
Minnesota: Overview of Status Quo and SF 182
Provides an analysis of Minnesota’s current redistricting process and discusses proposed legislation.
Analysis of Ohio Redistricting Resolution as Passed
Analyzes a resolution to change the redistricting process that passed the Ohio Senate.
Analysis of Illinois Redistricting Proposals
Analyzes two proposals introduced in 2009 that would change the redistricting process in Illinois.