Learn about legislative mapping and redistricting in a special program presented by the League of Women Voters of Indiana and All IN 4 Democracy. People Powered Virtual Day of Action will be presented on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. The event is free, but viewers must register in advance.
Participants will receive advocacy toolkits and resources to build engagement in their communities. Panelists from several organizations will discuss redistricting and why it matters to communities. Julia Vaughn of Common Cause will discuss the efforts of the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, which has held virtual presentations all over the state this year to engage citizens in redistricting issues.
To demonstrate how maps could be drawn, Ranjan Rohatgi of the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission will conduct a live workshop on drawing maps with Districtr tool. Using 2010 census data as practice, people can experiment with ways to draw maps and better understand the process. When the 2020 data is released, they can use that information to draw their own maps.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the decennial U.S. Census Bureau counts. The census provides data that show how populations have shifted. State legislatures use that data to redraw district maps for their representatives in the U.S. House, but also for their state representatives and senators.
The 2020 census data was delayed by pandemic issues and was not available for the Indiana General Assembly to use to start the mapping process during this spring session. It will reconvene after the census data is released in late summer or early fall to take on the task.
The League of Women Voters and All IN 4 Democracy are two of several groups advocating for fair maps that do not favor one party or another. The April 29 event is aimed at empowering communities to better understand the process as well as to urge their representatives to create maps that better represent voters.
Questions? Contact the League of Women Voters of Hamilton County at lwvhc@gmail.com. Learn more at lwvhcin.org or follow the group’s Facebook page.