This past summer, voting rights advocates waited on the edge of their seats for the US Supreme Court’s decision in its most significant election law case of the October 2024 term,
In February 2022, the North Carolina supreme court issued a historic ruling that partisan gerrymandering violates the North Carolina constitution and ordered new maps to be drawn.
At a special meeting 4/14 the Providence City Council approved for the second and final time the new voting maps for the city. The vote was 12-2
No votes were LaFortune and Castillo. Ryan abstained Watch video: https://youtu.be/kYHk5EEO7SM. To see the new map: https://council.providenceri.gov/ward-boundaries/
Read the Committee on Ward Boundaries Report: https://tinyurl.com/2p8d5ed8 to understand the complexities of drawing lines.
NEW: a final Ward map (for redistricting) was voted out of the Ward Boundaries Committee and is available online. Special City Council meeting is scheduled for Mon 3/14 @ 4:30 to accept and receive the work of the Ward Boundaries Committee (for redistricting). For more information check out the council's dedicated Ward Boundaries page - https://council.providenceri.gov/ward-boundaries/
With the draft of the redistricting maps available and online, Rhode Island residents should start to study them and think about what their own new districts might be like.
