As September begins, we now enter the first month where states will likely start to pass and enact partisan, gerrymandered maps, which Republicans admit they will use to help them win back the majority in the House. Since the release of the Census Bureau data last month, states have started redrawing congressional and legislative district maps. This comes at the expense of voters around the country, who will see their votes “packed,” “cracked,” and diluted to ensure corporate interests and dark money groups continue to hold the power and influence in Washington.
In Iowa, where Republicans in the state legislature can overturn the work of a nonpartisan agency, maps are expected within the next two weeks. In Nebraska, Republican Governor Pete Ricketts called a special session for redistricting that will begin on September 13. Other states like Alabama, Georgia, and Texas have already begun or will soon begin their map-drawing processes this month.
“Republican state legislatures are now moving to unfairly gerrymander their state’s electoral map and draw maps based on self-serving political interests instead of working to ensure every American is being fairly represented,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “We are in a race against time to pass the For the People Act, which will eliminate partisan gerrymandering to ensure that the American people are choosing their elected officials, not the other way around. The Senate must act before it’s too late and the damage is done.”
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