LWVVT Redistricting Study

Redistricting Study

Redistricting Study.  Resources.

Redistricting Study

The League of Women Voters always studies an issue before adopting an advocacy position. The LWVVT is currently studying means to assure that our legislative bodies truly represent their constituencies

Background: Vermont uses a combination of single and multi-seat districts for electing House and Senate members. Since federal court ruling in the 1960s requiring equal power per vote regardless of which part of the state a voter lives in, Vermont has had to draw new district boundaries following each decennial census. However, the process of redistricting is a sharply partisan process rife with "gerrymandering" for political advantage. This process by which incumbent legislators effectively choose their constituents can virtually predetermine the outcomes of elections and result in unrepresentative legislative bodies.

There have also been concerns that the winner-take-all plurality elections in multi-seat districts (such as the six-member Chittenden County Senate district) can dramatically under-represent political minorities.

Goal of Study: Examine impartial ways of drawing district boundaries and alternative ways of voting that can assure more representative bodies that allow the majority can elect a majority of seats, but also allow political minorities to elect a share of seats roughly proportionate to the number of votes received.

Consensus Questions can be reviewed here. The response form will be found in the Winter issue of the Green Mountain Citizen.

Resources

Click on the title of interest below for the complete text of the documents.

Abramowitz, et al., Don't Blame Redistricting for Uncompetitive Elections

Redistricting Reform Enhancements, paper by FairVote

Center for Governmental Studies, Independent redistricting Commissions: State and Country Comparative Summary

Report of the 2006 Redistricting Conference

Repot of the 2005 Redistricting Conference

Article by LWVCA member Steve Chessin

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: February 12, 2008 05:20 PST.

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