Points to Consider in Redistricting Comments
Overall Considerations
Your goal is to move elected officials to act on this issue in ways that are compatible with your views. To be most effective, remember that officials get many letters, email notes and phone calls. They, and even their staffs, don’t have the time to read long dissertations. Keep your comments short, to the point, and succinct. Make your most important point in the first paragraph. Use the words that follow to elaborate and clarify that point. Don’t bury the lead.
Comments from the public influence officials in two basic ways:
- Simple numbers. A hundred comments expressing a position or concern is better than ten. A thousand is better still. So, make you views known.
- Clearly expressed personal views, especially from a constituent. Particularly, if you know, or have simply met, the official you’re writing, make that connection. If you’ve not met, make it clear that you are a constituent. If you can, then make your point in personal terms: If you act in this way, this is the problem that I will have or the benefit that I will receive.
With these general notes, the next section deals with the specifics of redistricting.
Redistricting
Your comments might be made in several ways, following several different approaches to this issue:
- Non-partisan. The process should be overseen by a non-partisan group. This might be an independent body appointed for this purpose. It might also be a process of the legislative committees with equal representation from both parties. It might also involve a heavy reliance on professional staff in the non-partisan agencies of the legislature.
- Local government involvement. County and municipal officials should have an opportunity to view and comment on draft maps for their area. Since splitting communities or other areas of interest is a major concern, such an opportunity might identify issues while they can still be addressed.
- Transparent. Maps should be drawn in an open process with ample opportunity for public involvement as the lines are being drawn and as draft maps are available before they are finalized.
- Criteria: Before any lines are drawn, map makers should define and adopt clear criteria to guide their work. Some possible criteria:
- Equal population: Federal and Texas laws require that districts have equal, or substantially equal populations, in keeping with one-person-one-vote.
- Racial gerrymandering: Federal court decisions have made racial gerrymandering illegal, but it is difficult to prove because partisan gerrymandering can look very similar.
- Civic boundaries: Whenever possible county and municipal boundaries should be respected.
- Institutions: Like civic boundaries, major institutions, such as universities, should not be divided between districts.
- Compact districts: Districts should be compact, that is they should not assume strange shapes to meet some goal.
- Contiguous districts: State and federal laws require that districts be contiguous—they must not be in separate unconnected parts.
- Communities of interest: To the extent possible communities of interest should be respected. Such communities might be similar developments, similar economic or racial groups, similar schools, municipalities, or areas with common concerns. Common concerns might include such things as a flood control area, preservation of an historic area or natural area, an economic development area, or any number of other issues that tend to bring people together for a common purpose.
- Legislative bodies should reflect the population: To the extent possible, the make-up of the legislative body should mirror the population in racial and partisan terms. This means that efforts should be made not to draw lines that disadvantage either racial or partisan groups.
Possible Comments
The previous section provided some information on how to make comments and on the substance of the redistricting issues. The following offers some draft comments that draw on the points made previously.
Draft #1
Dear ___________:
I enjoyed seeing you again at your townhall meeting in _______. It’s always good to hear the concerns of my neighbors and the views of people in the capitol.
I’m writing today to express my concerns over the redistricting process that is just beginning. District boundaries are too important to be drawn behind closed doors by a single party. Please follow an open transparent process in which both parties have a role and public input is solicited and used throughout.
Particularly in these very difficult times, it is imperative that these critical decisions are made in a way that fosters interest and support from all the people. Decisions that will guide the direction of our state and nation for the next decade must be made in a way that makes all voters feel that their perspectives have been heard and considered and that their votes will matter.
Sincerely,
Draft #2
Dear______________:
As you begin the redistricting process, I urge you to proceed in an open manner. Decisions that will affect us all for at least the next decade, must be made in a way that is guided by a clear and understandable procedure. A good first step would be the adoption of a clear set of criteria to be followed and against which draft maps might be tested. Such criteria might include:
Protecting the integrity of the democratic processes by ensuring that boundaries are not drawn in a way that dilutes or overstates the value of any specific group or interest.
Protecting communities of interest by recognizing that people have shared interests in their municipality, local institutions, natural and economic resources, and any number of other features.
Respecting civic boundaries.
Respecting the boundaries of major natural features, such as watersheds.
Adopted criteria would make the objectives of the legislators involved in drafting maps clearer. It would also assist the public and local officials in evaluating draft maps and in offering useful input.
Thank you for considering my thoughts.
Sincerely,
Draft #3
Dear___________:
As you and your colleagues move ahead with the redistricting process, I urge you to not repeat some past errors. One such error was the decision to divide the representation of our little city into three districts. Over the past decade, we have had concerns about transportation safety, flood control, and the integrity of our electrical grid. It has been very difficult to find real representation when we are a very small part of the districts of three representatives. In effect, having three representatives—all very good people—has been more like having no representatives.
As new maps are drawn, please respect the integrity of municipal boundaries whenever possible. This is especially important for smaller cities like ours.
Thank you for hearing my concerns.
Sincerely,
Draft #4
Dear______________:
As new district boundaries are drawn in the special session, please recognize communities of interest to allow those of us with such interests to be better able to promote our views.
For the past 21 years, I have lived near a wonderful natural area. District maps drawn a decade ago put my home and the homes of others concerned about the area into one district and the natural area into two others. The population centers of these other districts are quite removed from the natural area, which means that few citizens of those districts are concerned about the area.
Pressures are now growing to do something “useful” with these several hundred acres of prairie grasses and woodlands teaming with birds and other wildlife. With the current district configuration, we can only urge our representative to attempt actions to preserve a resource in neighboring districts, or we can ask other representatives to take similar actions to preserve something few of their constituents care about. Neither is a very good option.
Please draw new district boundaries in a way that recognizes the common interest of citizens in this and other cases.
Sincerely,