Reform: 2021 Gerrymandering Threat Index by Nonprofit Group “RepresentUs”

Reform: 2021 Gerrymandering Threat Index by Nonprofit Group “RepresentUs”

RepresentUs, a nonprofit advocacy group, released an online app and 160-page Gerrymandering Threat Index report which measures each state's risk level for gerrymandering activity during the 2020 redistricting cycle. By its measure, 35 states have an extreme or high threat of gerrymandering or 70% of the nation, including over 188 million Americans. The index measures a state's likelihood that it will enact "gerrymandered" maps based on several factors including whether politicians draw maps, how transparent the process is, the robustness of legal criteria, the likelihood of partisan line-drawing, and how difficult maps are to challenge in court. Browse the risk…
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Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Minority Groups During Redistricting Due to Differential Privacy

Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Minority Groups During Redistricting Due to Differential Privacy

Civil rights groups are raising concerns about the accuracy of the U.S. Census Bureau’s proposed new system for protecting privacy in a report released today. The report raises concerns about how the Bureau's use of differential privacy as evidenced by recent demonstration data, will obfuscate the true population count of minority populations and frustrate compliance with federal (and some state) Voting Rights laws governing the redistricting process. PRESS RELEASE April 5, 2021: Civil Rights Groups Issue New Report Detailing Potential Harm to Upcoming Redistricting Efforts Highlight Concerns About the Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Methodology (Washington, D.C.) – Civil rights groups…
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View the Latest Census Estimate Data for Your State with the Redistricting and You Online Map Tool

View the Latest Census Estimate Data for Your State with the Redistricting and You Online Map Tool

The Center for Urban Research (CUR) at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) has created the Redistricting & You online map to help members of the public, journalists, elected officials, and other redistricting stakeholders to understand the local implications of redrawing legislative district lines across the country. The website uses the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to show several population characteristics that will help inform the redistricting debate. Until census 2020 data is available, the most current data to show how congressional and state legislative district demographics have changed is from the American Community Survey, either from the 5-year 2015-2019 estimates or…
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Monthly Redistricting Update: March

Monthly Redistricting Update: March

Redistricting news for March includes some helpful redistricting-related resources, important litigation updates, and news from the California Redistricting Commission. Tools & Resources The primer for staffers on HR1 gives a concise timeline for compliance should this piece of legislation be enacted by Congress in its current form. It is also a quick and easy way to see exactly what is in this voluminous bill. Also, the U.S. Census Bureau released a handy interactive map of apportionment data results for the states since 1910. Congressional Redistricting Under HR1: A Primer for State Officials Interactive Historical Apportionment Map Released by U.S. Census…
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Study: Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Disclosure Avoidance System Produces Concerning Results for Local Jurisdictions

Study: Census Bureau’s Differential Privacy Disclosure Avoidance System Produces Concerning Results for Local Jurisdictions

Recent research into the effect of differential privacy (DP) on Alaska's census data show concerning results, especially for small area geographies such as townships, municipalities and other local jurisdictions. The authors of the study, a summary of which is posted in the blog for the Population Association of America, warn that local redistricting and other activities connected to census data could be substantially impacted by the Census Bureau's application of differential privacy on raw census data. The authors of the study, David Swanson, Professor Emeritus, Sociology at the University of California - Riverside, T.M. Bryan of Bryan Demographic Research, Richmond,…
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California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract

California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract

PRESS RELEASE: 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Redistricting Line Drawing Contract SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) announced the approval of HaystaqDNA and Q2 Data & Research, LLC as the contractors selected to assist in the professional and technical drawing of district lines. The Commission is tasked with mapping new districts based on the 2020 Census in conformity with strict, non-partisan rules put in place to ensure fair representation for all Californians. HaystaqDNA and Q2 Data & Research, LLC served as technical consultants to the Arizona and California independent redistricting commissions, respectively, in 2011. The line…
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Video: How to Ensure That Redistricting Is Fair, Open, and Accessible (Campaign Legal Center)

Video: How to Ensure That Redistricting Is Fair, Open, and Accessible (Campaign Legal Center)

The CLC and the League of Women Voters unveil the new report “Designing a Transparent and Ethical Redistricting Process: A Guide to Ensuring that the Redistricting Process is Fair, Open, and Accessible.” The panelists discuss several ethics provisions aimed at preventing conflicts of interest, ensuring that commissioners are impartial, establishing removal processes for cases of misconduct and making redistricting more accessible and inclusive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO059m9hn9s&list=PLR3tkoUMOQA2ibwZM8F27qmXy9sGqBX-8&index=15&t=672s CLC on Youtube
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