by Diane Dimperio
Published October 11, 2021
This article is Part 3 of a series. Information covered in the prior units is not included in this article. Go to our Florida Redistricting 2022 webpage to see all of the articles.
The Legislature is gearing up to draw state and congressional districts that will define our voting options for the next decade. So, we should start to think about the process and how we want to be involved.
You may have been hearing the terms reapportionment and redistricting, which are sometimes misused interchangeably. Reapportionment refers to the redistribution of 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives among the 50 states based on the updated population data from the census. Each state gets at least one seat and in 2022, due to populations shifts, Florida has gained one additional seat for a total of 28 Representatives.
Redistricting refers to the redrawing of state legislative and congressional house districts to adjust for uneven growth in different parts of the state and accommodate the additional congressional seat. As discussed in a previous article in this series, the City of Gainesville, Alachua County and the Alachua County School Board are also redistricting and they plan to complete the process in 2021. Both County entities can only redistrict in odd numbered years.
The Florida Legislature is responsible for establishing districts that define who can vote for Florida Representatives and Senators, as well as, US Congressional House Representatives. The details of this process were described in an earlier article in this series. A House Committee will draw districts for the Florida House of Representatives and US Congressional Representatives. A committee in the Florida Senate will draw districts for Florida Senators. US Senate seats are elected by all Florida voters. The legislature has begun the redistricting process by selecting and orienting Committee members. Chuck Clemons, who represents House District 21, which includes western Alachua County along with Dixie and Gilchrist counties, is a member of the committee which will draw maps for Florida House Districts.
State districts are supposed to include an equal number of residents and follow guidelines from the recently modified Federal Voting Rights Act and the Florida Constitution. The guidelines have been established in an attempt to give all voters an equal opportunity to influence the outcome of elections. The Federal Voting Rights Act is designed to protect voters who represent minority populations based on racial, ethnic and language characteristics. The Florida State Constitution requires the Legislature to divide the state into 30 to 40 contiguous senatorial districts and 80 to 120 contiguous house districts. It is expected that the number of districts will remain the same as they are now which is 40 Senate and 120 House seats. The Florida Senate website defines a district as contiguous, “if all of its territory is in actual contact, uninterrupted by the territory of another district. Contact at a corner or right angle is insufficient, but territory may cross bodies of water. The Florida Constitution allows state legislative districts to overlap, either partially or entirely.” The Florida Constitution also includes language, added in 2010, to protect the voting rights of members of the political minority.
The redistricting process conducted in 2012 was contentious and, because it violated the Florida Constitution, became litigious. The dominant party was found to be deliberately drawing districts designed to improve the likelihood of electing members of their own party (gerrymandering). One of the judges in the case said “Political consultants or operatives did in fact conspire to manipulate and influence the redistricting process…They made a mockery of the Legislature’s proclaimed transparent and open process of redistricting…” During the first Senate Redistricting committee meeting, held in September 2021, Ray Rodrigues, Chair, referenced the 2012 redistricting process by saying, “Some hard lessons were learned through that cycle, and I believe we will learn from those lessons” (1).
Although members of the dominant party have all refused to sign a declaration that commits them to drawing fair districts, they have signaled their intention to comply with the letter of the law. They have established a Florida redistricting website that provides a wealth of information. For example, it includes the members of the committees, a detailed graphic of the process and the Power Point presentation used to orient committee members. The website also offers access to the census data and an invitation for the public to draw and submit proposed districts.
Controversy about the fairness of the maps will delay final decisions which legislators are anxious to avoid. Since district boundaries will determine who can run for which office, the legislators want to draw districts expeditiously and get back home to make final decisions on their political future. Potential candidates need to qualify for office between June 13-17, 2022, so if the districts are decided by the end of the session, they will only have three months to make decisions on their candidacy and campaign. They do not want to reduce this already tight time frame.
Discussion and debate on the proposed districts will be held prior to and during the legislative session. Voters will want to stay abreast of the process by watching committee meetings and reviewing pertinent information. We can watch meetings live or later as they are recorded. The agendas posted online prior to meetings often contain detailed information that will be discussed during meetings.
Committee meetings are scheduled from October 11-22, November 1-5, November 15-19, and November 29-December 3, 2021. Specific dates and times of meetings will be shown on the state Redistricting Website and the Florida House and Senate websites. Meetings are posted seven days prior to being conducted. The legislative session begins January 11 and ends March 11, 2022.
Voters are free to contact any legislator but will have the greatest influence on those who represent them. If Mr. Clemons is your representative you may want to let him know of your interest in the process by contacting him.
(1) Harper M. (2021, September 27). As Florida lawmakers start redrawing maps, here are 3 districts most likely to change. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/state/2021/09/27/florida-redistricting-starts-here-3-districtlikely-change/8386956002/.
Diane Dimperio is the LWVAC Redistricting Contact. If you would like more information or to get involved, please reach out to info [at] lwv-alachua.org.
