WASHINGTON & AUSTIN — Today the League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters of Texas issued the following statement in response to the Texas legislature passing new congressional maps:  

"The Texas mid-cycle redistricting map is designed to rig elections and silence voters. This scheme was fueled by a directive from President Trump in a desperate attempt to cling to power. Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans are abusing the redistricting process to bow down to an unpopular president who has no shame in thwarting the Constitution for his own benefit.  

"The League of Women Voters has consistently opposed partisan gerrymandering and mid-cycle redistricting because these tactics disenfranchise voters. And Texas, in particular, has a history of using gerrymandering to harm Black and brown communities. Texas Latino voters, whom Trump tokenized during his campaign, are already being terrorized by ICE raids and increased police profiling, and now the President's gerrymandering scheme will further dehumanize this community. 

"Texans deserve fair maps drawn to reflect their communities — not partisan lines manipulated to entrench power. Together, the League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters of Texas will not stand by while elected officials trample the Constitution and rewrite the rules to politically assault voters. 

"The US Constitution and federal law establish that redistricting occurs once every ten years, following the Census. Handing the President a larger margin is not a legal or democratic justification for politicians to redraw maps mid-cycle. By defying this long-standing practice meant to create order and stability, Texas lawmakers are destabilizing elections, stripping communities of fair representation, and corroding the foundations of our democracy. 
 
"Voters — not politicians — must choose their leaders. The League will continue to fight gerrymandering in Texas and any state that seeks to silence the voices of voters in our democracy. Texas should expect the League to continue fighting to stop this attack on democracy."

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