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 Hawaii
Process
Politician Commission
Hawaii’s state legislative and congressional districts are both drawn by a nine-member Reapportionment Commission. The majority and minority leaders of the state Senate and House each select two members. These eight members then appoint the ninth commissioner; if they fail to agree on one, the appointment falls to the Hawaii Supreme Court.
Criteria
In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Hawaii’s state constitution (Art. IV § 6) requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest (“submergence of an area in a larger district wherein substantially different socio-economic interests predominate shall be avoided”). Unduly favoring or disfavoring a person or party is prohibited.
Public Input
Hawaii’s state statutes (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 25-2) require that the Reapportionment Commission hold at least one public hearing in each of the state's basic island units after releasing draft plans. In the last redistricting cycle, the Commission held hearings between August 30 and September 16, 2011. The Commission also accepted public submission of maps on their website, providing online GIS software as a resource.
Issues
Pitfalls
The success of this Commission will depend on public input. In the 2011 cycle, there was some controversy over the notice requirement to testify at public hearings, as the commission only gave three days’ notice for meetings and required residents to request to testify at least 48 hours before. This time around, it is important to ensure that the public input process is robust and readily accessible for all.
Census Delays
- State legislative and congressional redistricting plans deadline: 150 days after commission formation; by September 28, 2021 (Art. IV § 2)
The Census Bureau may delay sending population data to states until as late as July 31, 2021. In the case of delay, Hawaii will have a compressed schedule for redistricting and may need to take formal action to adjust the redistricting schedule to complete the task.
History
The most contentious issue in the 2011 redistricting cycle was the inclusion of non-residents. For the first time, the Reapportionment Commission voted to count non-resident students and military personnel in redistricting calculations. This decision led to a series of legal challenges:
- In Matsukawa v. State of Hawaii 2011 Reapportionment Commission and Solomon v. Abercrombie, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that non-residents could not be considered in reapportionment. The Court struck down the legislative maps and ordered the commission to draft new plans.
- In Kostick v. Nago, plaintiffs brought a federal challenge to the revised redistricting map, arguing that the removal of non-resident students and military personnel was improper. In May 2012, a federal panel refused to overturn Hawaii’s maps.
Actions
In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.
In 2021, participate in the Commission’s public input process.
- Obtain Hawaii 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 commission 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. While the deadline to change the constitutional process for this redistricting cycle has passed, it is never too early to plan and organize for reforms.
Contacts
Data provided by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project