Do-It-Yourself Redistricting: The Role of Public Participation
Sentiment is growing nationally for citizens to take a greater role in redistricting, sometimes referred to as “do-it-yourself-redistricting.” The resources below provide various perspectives on the topic of do-it-yourself-redistricting, the role of public participation, and transparency in the redistricting process. Several of these resources were helpful in crafting the House’s menu of public participation opportunities for Florida’s redistricting.
- Altman & McDonald – Do-It-Yourself Redistricting?
- Brennan Center for Justice – How to Influence the Redistricting Process?
- Brookings – Public Participation (Video)
- Brookings – Transparency & Public Participation
- Dave’s Redistricting – Do Your Own Redistricting
- FairDistrictsFlorida.org (Jon Mills) - How Will the FairDistrictsFlorida.org Amendments Work?
- League of Women Voters – Essential Principles on Redistricting
- Miami Herald – Brave New World of Do-It-Yourself Mapping
- Public Mapping Project
- Spacial Roundtable – Social Redistricting?
- Stateline – Rise of Do-It-Yourself Redistricting
Estero is an unincorporated community with about 30,000 registered voters located in south Lee County. In spite of our earlier testimony and recent email requests none of the maps approved by the House Redistricting Subcommittee keeps all of Estero in the same district.
The residents of Estero ask you to amend District 76 in the House map that you adopt to keep all of the Estero community in the same district and not arbitrarily place 5,000 or more of our residents into an adjacent Lehigh Acres dominated district.
Thank you!
I was unable to attend a meeting. However I have three concerns. 1)The timeline needs to be shortened so that voters have time to evaluate the maps and make comments before candidates need to file for office 2) Where are the maps? The maps need to be out at the meetings so that voters can evaluate them. 3) Why are we wasting money suing the people of Florida when the voters supported amendments 5 and 6 by 63%? 4) The Libby map packs too many Democrats into too few districts. The voter asked for non partisan redistricting rather than more of the same.
The time line is provided in the Florida Constitution, which says that the legislature shall approve of new districts in the legislative session ending in the year 2. The legislature has moved this forward by holding a special redistricting session early in 2012.
Anybody is free to propose a plan. Where’s yours?
The issue of whether a legislature can be bound by a State constitution in providing the manner for election of US representatives is a legitimate constitutional issue. It is not relevant what percentage of voters voted for the constitutional amendment if it violates the US Constitution.
The Florida Constitution says that a plan may be drawn with the /intent/ of favoring or disfavoring political parties or incumbents. Someone could draw a plan that respects county and city boundaries that has the effect of favoring certain parties and candidates. For example, a district centered on a large city might well favor an incumbent representative who was the former mayor. But that would not imply intent.
The voters were voting for litigation on a stick. Whether that is what they wanted is another issue. Those proposing the amendments wanted something that they could take to court.
The video file for the Fort Walton Beach hearing appears to be bad.
http://podcache-101.granicus.com/myflorida/myflorida_38ac3f0f-c691-4d1f-88da-bd3fa2556948.mp4
Those for Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Panama City are OK.
Thanks for the heads up!
Your suggestion is now part of our Plan Explorer page at http://mydistrictbuilderplanexplorer.wordpress.com/statehouse/.
A House district comprising of Casselberry, Altamonte Springs, Fern Park, and Longwood
is needed for Hispanic American Participacion