gerrYmanderingandthediSenFranchiSementoFthevote
Diversity , Equity & Inclusion Committee Chairs : AntinaMobley — PublicDefender ’ sOffice , ThirteenthCircuit & AmyCasanova-Ward — FLDept . ofFinancialServices
The United States election laws date back to Article I of the U . S . Constitution . 1 This gives the states the responsibility of overseeing political elections . Every ten years each state refigures its electoral districts , either causing them to expand or contract , resulting in the rebalancing of congressional seats . This redistricting affects the voice and health of a community because it has the potential to divide or dilute the vote . This is called gerrymandering .
The Florida Constitution directs the legislature to redraw district boundaries in the second year following each decennial census . 2 The idea is to fairly draw these lines on a map so the population can elect representatives who reflect their views and address their concerns . When new census data becomes available , many hope that the redistricting boundaries either remain unchanged or are not manipulated unfairly so that an electoral vote may favor one party over another . However , one type of gerrymandering , partisan gerry - mandering , focuses on the practice of dividing a geographical area into
electoral districts to give one political party an unfair advantage by diluting the opposing sides ’ voting power , leaving voters who support opposing parties or viewpoints without meaningful representation or a voice in government .
Because communities change , redistricting is important to our democracy . Maps must be redrawn to ensure that districts are equally populated to comply with the U . S . Constitution and the voting rights laws . 3 Gerrymandering affects democracy , particularly in communities of color where the partisan form targets its vote and political power . 4 Through residential divide and racially motivated patterns , political parties can use map drawing to weaken the voice of these communities .
Federal reform can help prevent gerrymandering . The Freedom to Vote Act , a critical piece of federal reform legislation is a step towards preventing political agendas in map drawing for redistricting . The bill seeks to enhance transparency , strengthen protections for communities of color , and ban partisan gerrymandering in congressional redistricting . It is meant to improve voters ’ ability to combat and question these maps in court and take back its voice . 5 According to the Florida Division
combatingracially gerrymanderedmaps willplayanimportant roleinhelpingtoelect membersofcongress whorepresent aparticular community ’ svoiceand addressitsneeds .
of Elections , 6 the number of active voters decreased from the years 2020 to 2022 when registration was at its highest . One reason for the decrease in voter turnout may be due to voter restrictions , which is the practice of inhibiting certain groups from voting . For example , in 2021 , Florida passed its Senate Bill 90 , 7 which cleared vote-by-mail rolls and required voters to re-enroll for vote-by-mail every election cycle . In 2022 , there were approximately 4.2 million people on the vote-bymail rolls , but in 2023 , that number was reset to zero . This is concerning , especially since it is a presidential election year .
The political implications of racially gerrymandered maps are not limited to the communities directly affected by the dilution of their political power . Until this problem is addressed , political separation and racially divided districts will continue to undermine our country ’ s commitment to a free and fair democratic process . Combating racially gerrymandered maps will play an important role in helping to elect members of Congress who represent a particular community ’ s voice and address its needs . n continuedonpage23
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