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 Missouri
Process
Nonpartisan Demographer
Beginning in 2021, Missouri's state legislative districts will be drawn by a nonpartisan state demographer. The demographer will draft maps subject to approval by two bipartisan redistricting commissions, whose members are nominated by the state party committees and appointed by the Governor. The two bipartisan redistricting commissions can amend the demographer's district maps with a 70% vote. Without such a vote, the demographer's maps become law. This process was created by Missouri Amendment 1 in 2018, which was approved with 62% of the vote.
State Legislature
The state's congressional districts will be drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and will be subject to the Governor's veto.
Criteria
In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Missouri’s state constitution (Art. III §§ 3(c), 7) requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, promote partisan fairness and competitiveness, and do not intentionally favor an incumbent, party, or candidate for office. For congressional districts, the state constitution (Art. III § 45) requires that they be compact and contiguous.
Public Input
Per the state constitution (Art. III §§ 3(3), 7), the redistricting commission must hold at least three public hearings to gather testimony and objections to the demographer’s proposed map. Missouri’s state statutes (§ 127.030) further require that the demographer establish a “Redistricting Public Comment Portal,” a website that facilitates the submission of public comments and maps.
Issues
Bad Reform
The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, SJR38 or Amendment 3.
- This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, Amendment 3 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. In doing so, it also would allow the two commissions to draw maps up to a 15% efficiency gap, which would constitute a strong partisan bias.
- Amendment 3 passed the Legislature during the 2020 session on a largely party-line vote in the Senate, but there was more bipartisan opposition in the House. The repeal of Clean Missouri will go to the voters for final approval in either August or November, depending upon the governor.
Census Delays
- State legislative redistricting plan deadline (Art. III § 3(3)):
- Tentative plan: six months after population data received
- Final plan: two months after tentative plan proposed
- Congressional redistricting plan deadline: no statutory deadline
The Census Bureau may delay sending population data to states until as late as July 31, 2021. Missouri’s state constitution automatically adjusts the deadline for completing state legislative redistricting based on the receipt of census data, and there should be enough time to complete both state legislative and congressional redistricting.
Actions
Advocate for extending the nonpartisan redistricting process to congressional districts, while opposing Amendment 3’s rollback of recent reforms of the state legislative process.
- Visit Clean Missouri to learn more about Amendment 3 and its threat to fair maps.
- Write to your local newspaper and advocate for the success of the nonpartisan process.
- Contact your legislator in support of nonpartisan approaches to fair districting.
In 2021, participate in the public input process.
- Obtain Missouri 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 commissions and demographer start 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.
Contacts
Data provided by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project