Advocacy

RFC UPDATES

Stay connected! Enter your email to receive important updates:

RFC Takes on Redistricting

Watch the YouTube spot by OneVirginia2021 which shows legislator Jerry Mandering share his support of the current redistricting process - so that he can run unopposed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zMqxdNUDOo&feature=youtu.be

Fair districts = better elections = good government
RFC has formed a group to advocate for fair redistricting in preparation for the next redistricting effort. Without fair redistricting, many citizens often have little or no choice on for whom to vote!"

What is redistricting?
Redistricting is the regular process of adjusting the lines of voting districts in accordance with population shifts. For many states, this means redrawing congressional and state legislative district lines every 10 years following the decennial Census. In the modern era of redistricting, all district lines must be reviewed after the census to meet strict requirements for population equality and voting rights protections.

How does redistricting differ from reapportionment?
Reapportionment is the process of reassigning congressional seats among the states after the Census. Once the 2010 Census population counts were released, the number of representatives each state could send to Congress was determined. At that point, reapportionment was over and redistricting had begun! All states, even those that did not gain or lose districts, still must redraw district boundaries in order to match internal population shifts. The end goal? Equal numbers of people in every district, nationwide.

What is gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering is the act of redrawing district lines to influence elections to favor a particular party, candidate, or ethnic group. While the Voting Rights Act strongly protects against racial gerrymanders, manipulating the lines to favor a political party is common. In other cases, the parties work together to draw a plan that favors the incumbents of both parties.
(information from: http://www.redistrictinginamerica.org/whatisredistricting/)
For further information about redistricting, see website above. Addiitionally see section below:

News on Redistricting:

NBC12 VIEWPOINT: CHANGE is Coming Redistricting 2021 (2014)
By: Kym Grinnage NBC 12
The other day I had a conversation with someone about a subject that was not really on my mind and that was the 2020 census and 2021. Although the next census count will not be until 2020, it is 2021 that will have a profound effect on the legislative districts in Virginia for another 10 years. And those changes will affect each and every one of you.- more

Ruling by House Speaker Blow to Senate Redistricting (Feb 17, 2014)
By: Olympia Meola Richmond Times Dispatch
Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, has ruled that the surprise Senate amendments to redistricting changes are not germane, throwing the future of the proposed Senate boundary moves in doubt, -more

Sorenson Institute Pushes for Redistricting Reform (Dec 3, 2013)
By: J. Reynold Hutchins Richmond Times Dispatch
CHARLOTTESVILLE — A push is underway in Virginia to take political redistricting out of the hands of politicians. Charlottesville has become a makeshift bivouac for a team working to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2016. -more

Senate Approves GOP Congressional Redistricting Plan (Jan 20, 2012)
By: Jim Nolan Richmond Times Dispatch
The Virginia Senate today passed a congressional redistricting bill that Democrats say is unconstitutional and disenfranchises African Americans by packing too many of them into one of the 11 congressional districts.-more

Advocates Criticize Population Criteria for VA. Redistricting (Mar 29, 2011)
By: Tyler Whitley Richmond Times Dispatch
Members of the Virginia Redistricting Coalition sharply criticized Monday population criteria agreed to by the House and Senate Privileges and Elections committees.-more