Mapping toward Racial Equity:

In past decades, maps drawn to protect incumbents have made it more difficult for minority communities to gain representation. Racial equity in redistricting is a complex subject, but one it’s important we all understand.

Join us for a statewide virtual forum to hear from voting rights experts, leaders of some PA minority organizations and mappers with experience in creating districts that ensure minority communities are heard.

Mapping toward Racial Equity
September 22, 7 to 8:30 pm.
Register here. You’ll receive the Zoom link the day before.

Draw the Lines Citizens’ Map:

Our friends at Draw the Lines PA have been holding public mapping competitions since 2018. Now they’ve incorporated what they’ve learned into a first ever Pennsylvania Citizens' Map. They will submit their map to the House and Senate State Government Committees as a model for the map the committees will draw for PA’s 17 congressional seats. Draw the Lines is also asking our state legislators to create a preliminary map and narrative (like DTL’s Story of the Citizens' Map) and make those available for public feedback before the legislature votes on the final plan. You can share your feedback on the proposed map here.

Other Feedback:

Fair Districts PA is creating similar citizen maps for PA house and senate. The maps will draw from winning maps in the LACRA Values Mapping Competition, but will also incorporate feedback from many regional and local mapping conversations. The maps will also reflect feedback about values and priorities gathered from past polls and a current FDPA survey.

Testimony:

It’s still possible to sign up to give oral testimony to the House State Government Committee. September regional hearings have been rescheduled for late October. You can find dates and details here.

You can find more information about giving testimony or providing online comment here. One ask to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission: hold a public hearing on racial equity.

Timelines:

The final Census Bureau data will be released to states two weeks earlier than expected, on September 16. We have no firm timeline for next steps after that but will be asking for a publicized timeline that allows ample time for citizen review and feedback of all proposed maps. The Department of State has asked that final maps be available by January 24. We know new maps can be drawn quickly once data is available in final form. The next weeks will matter!

Thanks for your attention to this,

Carol Kuniholm
Fair Districts PA Chair

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