Gerrymandering explained in redistricting program

Julia Vaughn (left), policy director for Common Cause Indiana, and Debbie Asberry, vice president of the Indiana League of Women Voters, address the recent Greencastle League of Women Voters Redistricting Reform meeting. (Courtesy photo)

A group of concerned and committed citizens from around the county attended the recent League of Women Voters meeting on Redistricting Reform.

The movie "Gerrymandering" was shown, which emphasized how redrawing of district lines has gotten to point where the only goal is to ensure political victory for incumbents. The situation of Texas' statehouse protesting a federal request to redistrict with the sole goal of grabbing more U.S. Senate seats in 2003 was highlighted, as was the redistricting victory of 2008's California's Proposition 11 which now allows an evenly representative committee to draw district boundaries.

After viewing "Gerrymandering," two experts on this subject, Julia Vaughn, policy director for Common Cause Indiana, and Debbie Asberry, vice president of the Indiana League of Women Voters, emphasized that voters in Indiana now have an opportunity to make some important changes in the democratic process in our state.

In the last Indiana Legislature, House Enrolled Act 1003 directed a committee of state senators and representatives (plus some notable citizens) to fashion a law specifying who will draw the new boundaries. They will study alternatives to legislators drawing the maps.

There are several possibilities:

1. An Independent commission such as in California and Arizona.

2. A bipartisan commission as in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, New York and Washington.

3. Another possibilities is a hybrid system such as we already have in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri and Ohio.

4. Or utilize a nonpartisan governmental agency as in Iowa.

Redistricting happens every 10 years, after the federal census. The purpose is to equalize the population of Congressional and Legislative districts: to fulfill the Constitutional requirement of "one person, one vote."

Other considerations can be maintaining areas of interest such as towns, following the law outlined in the Voter Rights Act, creating contiguous districts, and ensuring victory for incumbents. If a partisan legislature redraws the map, (which happens in all but six states), too often the districts have been drawn to suit the needs of politicians and not the voters. This leads to uncontested and uncompetitive races, which leads to low voter turnout, and lack of ability to hold our public officials accountable. Both political parties have engaged in gerrymandering resulting in our "broken system."

In 2014 Indiana had the worst voter turnout of any of the 50 states. Only 62 percent of Hoosiers are registered to vote and voter turnout was only 39.4 percent in that election. In the November election of this year, the Putnam County Voter Registration Office reports that in Putnam County only 26.83 percent voted.

Stating that voter turnout is tied to gerrymandering, both speakers felt that people will turn out to vote when they realize their vote will have an impact.

In 2014, in Indiana half of the House and half of the Senate were unopposed. That's 73 out of 150 seats which had no contested races. According to a 2014 study by the University of Chicago, Indiana's House Districts are among the most gerrymandered creating an unfair electoral advantage for the majority party. In 2012, Democratic candidates received a total of 999,219 votes and Republicans received 1,342,237 votes.

If districts were fairly drawn this would work out to Democrats holding 43 percent of House Districts, with Republicans holding a 57 percent majority. But with gerrymandering, Republicans currently hold a 71 percent majority.

Things we can do:

-- Both speakers felt that by forming a local coalition or study committees we would let legislators know this is an important issue on which the public wants action. These study committees would encourage city and county councils to pass resolutions calling upon the State committee to take corrective action because cities and counties, school districts, neighborhoods and minority groups can be splintered by where the lines are drawn making it difficult for the public to be heard, leading to their interests being ignored or under-served.

-- Join the Indiana Coalition for Independent Redistricting email alert network. Send an email to jvaughn@commoncause.org to sign up on her list serve.

-- Contact Rep. Gerald Torr (chairman of the new Indiana House Redistricting Committee) at h39@iga.in.gov to ask him to hold hearings around the state and at times when working people can attend.

-- If you belong to a civic association or service club, invite Julia Vaughn at 317-925-5780 to come and show a shorter video of 24 minutes on gerrymandering and to answer questions about redistricting.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

For more information on the Greencastle LWV, contact Karen Martoglio (Karen.martoglio@gmail.com).