Fair Districts

Fair Districts

The NC General Assembly has released these proposed maps for 2024. They include North Carolina’s 14 US Congressional seats and North Carolina Genral Assembly’s representative and senate seas. North Carolinians voted in 2022 using maps mandated by the and created by a three person super .

Does Redistricting Happen Locally?

Yes.

Redistricting, action or process of dividing or organizing an area into new political or school districts, is coming and NC must be ready. Because of the 2020 census, NC is entitled to an additional representative in the US House of Representatives! So, new congressional district lines will have to be drawn.

Redistricting affects more than representation in the US House; it also influences representation in the NC Senate and House, as well as many city governments including Hickory, Longview, Mooresville and Statesville.

NC has not had a stellar track record for drawing fair districts. The Election Integrity Project in a 2016 study ranked NC as one of the worst in the world for unfair voting districts.

Unfair districts come with a cost! NC spent $10.79 Million since 2011 on redistricting lawsuits.

Want to See How District Lines Move?

Are you wondering why we had 4 maps drawn in the 2010’s instead of just the one that was required by the census of 2010? They were court ordered. The court found that the first three maps were unconstitutional. The maps were drawn to give some voters more power and others less. Violating the constitutional principle that all votes should have equal weight. Another term for it is Gerrymandering.

What is Gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering, the partisan drawing of voting maps, has always been a part of American politics. Both major parties have drawn maps to their advantage but with advancing technology it has become a science.  Imagine having a map that is drawn through the middle of a college campus, through a town where one side of the street is in one district and the other side in a different district. These are real examples of gerrymandering in North Carolina.   

Why Should You Care?

The way that district boundaries are drawn can determine or strongly influence who gets elected. Primary voting becomes extremely important because that district has been drawn in such a way to favor one party over another in the general election.  Fair redistricting helps to ensure that our legislative bodies reflect our changing population and that each citizen’s vote counts equally. Fair districts can lead to:

• More accountability to constituents because fewer seats are “safe” for members of one party.

• More time and money spent addressing real legislative priorities, rather than litigating court challenges to district maps that are seen as gerrymandered.

• More respect for communities of interest.

• More voters who feel that their votes matter.

For more background and the current state of redistricting reform in North Carolina see  Fair Districts North Carolina.

For a short history of redistricting in our state see the article done by NC State University here.

3.Elections by ward or district for positions that represent just part of a town, city, or county. Ward/district boundaries have to be examined every ten years using the results of the U.S. Census and may need to be redrawn to keep the number of voters in each ward/district balanced.  Hickory City Council and most of the Hickory Public Schools Board positions in Catawba County are in this category. Any other localities?

3.5 The Caldwell County Board of Education election is partisan, beginning this year..

4. The purpose of a primary is to narrow the field of candidates for the fall general election.

5. NC legislation outlines if and how primary elections are held. For example, if only one candidate from one or more of NC's political parties files to run, no primary is needed.

Fair District Events

Using the city limits of Hickory and an area of Catawba County as an example, the League created an awareness in citizens of how (since 2019)  US Congressional Districts 5 and 10 divide neighborhoods, the city and the county.  Below is a schedule of the events, in reverse order of occurrence. Click each item for more details. Click here to see photos from ALL the events.

Watch the presentation that Common Cause did for our area on Communities of Interest here.

Would you like a speaker for your group? Request one here.

Want to Let Your Legislators Know Your Thoughts?

Don’t know who your legislators are? Click here for their names and contact information. You can call (may need to leave a message), email or send a real letter with a stamp! If you are in the neighborhood, visit their office. Facebook is an alternative. Twitter is also a great way to let your voice be heard.

Want to reach your legislator/ the redistricting committee members on Twitter? Click on the button below to get their account.

A few tips:

·        Make it Personal

·        Images help get attention

·        Use the handles to get the persons attention (You can use multiple in a tweet)

·        Use the hashtags #ncpol and #FairMaps to be included in the conversation.

·        Last but not least include us in your tweet!  @LWVCatawba and @LWVNCarolina