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Saturday, February 20th, 2021

Gerrymandering is about to get even more chaotic

Author:     Stef W. Kight
Source:     Axios
Publication Date:     19 February 2021
 Link: Gerrymandering is about to get even more chaotic
Stephan:   As Republicans realize people are leaving their party in droves, and in any case, they are doomed to be a permanent minority on racial terms, they are attempting with increasing ferocity to rig democracy with gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics. And, as this article lays out, it is going to get worse before it gets better. What is the solution? Vote Republicans out of all office at every level.

The next round of congressional redistricting is shaping up to be a mess, beset by even more complications and lawsuits than usual.

Why it matters: This process will likely help Republicans pick up seats in the House in 2022. Beyond that, though, the pandemic and the Trump administration’s handling of the Census have made this round of redistricting especially fraught — and states will be locked into the results for a decade.

  • Huge states with diversifying and expanding populations — including Texas, Florida and North Carolina — will likely feel some of the most significant impacts.

Census delays are a big part of the problem this year. The Census Bureau announced last week that it will not release the data states use to draw their legislative maps until the end of September — months later than the usual springtime release.

  • That gives states less time to draw maps, get feedback, resolve the ensuing lawsuits and enact their new plans in time for elections.
  • In Ohio, for example, two deadlines for the state’s brand-new process will already have passed by the time […]
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