What is the goal of People Powered Fair Maps™?

• The goal is to create fair and transparent, people-powered redistricting processes to eliminate partisan and racial gerrymandering in states nationwide.

• By building a national movement to advance redistricting nationally, the League is growing, wielding, and fostering a shared power paradigm for all voters, to end racial and partisan gerrymandering and ensure our political maps are created by the people – not those in power.

• This program is designed to put the power over the redistricting process back in the hands of the people.

• When people have direct avenues for influencing the drawing of districts in their communities, voters choose their representatives instead of representatives choosing their voters.

Why now?

• In June 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering is a political question because no fair test exists for courts to determine when partisan gerrymandering has gone too far.

• That means all federal courts will be hands-off even when redistricting intentionally decreases the voting power of voters based solely on their political party.

• This Supreme Court decision requires us to redouble our focus on our redistricting work at the state level.

Why is this a signature program for LWV?

• We do not have to rely on the Supreme Court to solve partisan gerrymandering. There are other paths to creating Fair Maps nationwide – and the League of Women Voters is the best organization positioned to accomplish this.

• As an organization with active Leagues in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and in more than 700 communities around the country, the League of Women Voters is the best-positioned organization to fix redistricting and ensure a fair and transparent process for all voters around the country.

• As we approach our 100th anniversary and the centennial of women’s suffrage, we know that 100 years ago, women didn’t have a voice in government, and frankly some women were left out altogether. Today, we are working to ensure that, as voters, we choose our representatives, so that everyone is counted, heard, and represented in government.

• The League has been instrumental in most major redistricting reform efforts – from fighting for some of the first major reforms in states like Arizona, California, Florida, and Iowa, by creating independent commissions or binding redistricting criteria – to the recent passage of ballot initiatives in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Utah, and implementing and defending these reforms once passed.

• This work around redistricting also enables us to ground this program in social justice and racial equity and to illustrate our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a real focus. This is important because we are not just talking about changing our culture, we are living out that commitment to ensure underrepresented populations have a real chance to elect their candidate of choice.

How will LWVNE accomplish its goals?

• A national strategy cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ solution if it’s going to be effective. Instead, it is important to create an opportunity for every state to participate as we work to build power for voters nationwide.

• The League has a rich history and deep expertise in the area of redistricting, and we will build this program upon the strengths of our field.

• Because redistricting is a priority issue for the League and a major component of the Campaign for Making Democracy Work, most Leagues have been involved in redistricting in their states at some point, often for years. But that work looks different depending on each state.

• In Nebraska the League of Women Voters will be working with the Legislature and partners to make sure redistricting is fair for the people of Nebraska.