SLAY THE DRAGON follows everyday people, outraged by what they see as an attack on the core democratic principle that every person’s vote should count equally. This election year, we’re joining together with grassroots partners to put an end to gerrymandering. Because this issue impacts each state differently, we’ve created a map to help you navigate how gerrymandering affects your state and community. SLAY THE DRAGON arrives on demand April 3.
Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.
We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.
Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.
We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.
SLAY THE DRAGON follows everyday people, outraged by what they see as an attack on the core democratic principle that every person’s vote should count equally. This election year, we’re joining together with grassroots partners to put an end to gerrymandering. Because this issue impacts each state differently, we’ve created a map to help you navigate how gerrymandering affects your state and community. SLAY THE DRAGON arrives on demand April 3.
Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.
We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.
Click on your state in the map above to find out what’s going on and how you can help.
We are partnering with organizations in Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin to support the creation of non-partisan redistricting commissions to protect votes across the country.
What’s going on in Alabama
Process
State Legislature
Alabama's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.
Criteria
In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alabama’s state constitution (Art. IX, § 200) requires that state senate districts be contiguous and avoid county splits. In May 2011, the Reapportionment Committee adopted additional guidelines for the cycle which further required that districts be compact and preserve communities of interest. Protection of incumbents is permitted.
Public Input
While Alabama law does not require public hearings, the legislative Reapportionment Committee held hearings throughout the state in May 2011. Moreover, the Committee guidelines allowed any citizen or group to present their own map, in accordance with certain procedures outlined here. It is probable that there will be similar opportunities for public input in 2021.
Issues
Pitfalls
Alabama has a guaranteed trifecta in 2021, as the Republican Party controls both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship. Single-party control of the redistricting process increases the risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.
Additionally, this will be Alabama’s first cycle without the protections of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which was struck down in the 2013 Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder. In the absence of preclearance requirements to protect communities of color, and given the recent history of gerrymandering in Alabama, observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure fair treatment for all.
Congressional Seats
Finally, based upon a recent estimate of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat. In other situations, a loss of a congressional seat has led to maps that purposefully pair two incumbents of an opposing party.
Census Delays
- State legislative redistricting plan deadline: Middle or end of May 2021, end of first session "after the taking of the decennial census” (Alabama Const. Art. IX § 199)
- Congressional redistricting plan deadline: no statutory deadline
The Census Bureau may delay sending population data to states until as late as July 31, 2021. In the case of delay, it would be impossible for Alabama to complete redistricting in the 2021 general session. Alabama’s state constitution (Art. IX § 201) does allow for a state-level count of population if there is no federal census. The least disruptive option would be for the Legislature to hold a special session to complete redistricting between the 2021 and 2022 general sessions.
History
In the 2011 redistricting cycle, Alabama faced several legal challenges:
- In Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama (2015), the Supreme Court rejected the district court ruling that upheld Alabama’s 2011 redistricting maps, which were motivated by race. On remand, a three-judge panel in Alabama found 12 state districts to be unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.
- In Chestnut v. Merrill, plaintiffs filed a lawsuit under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, challenging Alabama's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. However, a federal district court declared the case moot in March 2020, citing lack of jurisdiction and concerns with separation of powers.
Actions
Participate in the Legislature’s public input process:
- Obtain Alabama redistricting data from OpenPrecincts.
- Start to plan out what defines your community – whether it’s a shared economic interest, school districts, or other social or other cultural, historical, or economic interests – and how that can be represented on a map. This will come in handy once the Legislature starts collecting feedback.
- Use software tools such as Dave's Redistricting App and Districtr to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.
Read the Common Cause Activist Handbook on Redistricting Reform to learn about what reforms have been successful in the past, and what steps to take to enact reform in the future.
Contacts
Data provided by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project