Lynn Frazier and Diane Dimperio Guest columnists to The Gainesville Sun
You may have heard about redistricting, which sounds like an arcane bureaucratic activity that does not interest you. But redistricting will influence the partisan balance of power in the Florida Legislature and the U.S. Congress for the next decade. Redistricting will determine how influential your vote will be until 2032.
During the upcoming session the Legislature will draw districts that determine who can vote for which candidates for the U.S. House, as well as the Florida House and Senate. Districts can be drawn to fairly represent voters or to ensure one party will win elections.
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to vote cannot be abridged based on race, color or previous condition of servitude. Because this did not stop discrimination, Congress passed the federal Voting Rights Act. This allows voters to seek judicial relief if they believe that their voting rights have been limited based on race, color or membership in a language minority group.
In 2010, the League of Women Voters and other advocates passed two constitutional amendments to ensure creation of fair voting districts in Florida. The Constitution now includes language, often referred to as Tier 1 and Tier 2, that requires districts are not drawn to advantage a political party and to reinforce protection of minority rights.
Tier 1 are absolute requirements for districts and prohibit: a) districts being drawn with the intent to favor a political party or incumbent, and b) limiting the opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice and c) requires districts consist of contiguous territory.
Tier 2 criteria are required if they do not conflict with Tier 1 and require districts be: a) as nearly equal in population as practical, b) compact, and c) where feasible, utilize existing political and geographic boundaries.
Redistricting does not require but has traditionally included voter comments, which were offered during multiple town halls to hear from voters throughout the state. Citizen input on 2022 redistricting is limited to written comments submitted on the Florida Redistricting website and a personal appearance in Tallahassee to testify for 2-3 minutes during scheduled committee meetings.
The Florida Senate has released drafts of eight Senate and eight congressional maps, which are posted on the website. The press is giving them good reviews, but all versions of the Senate maps divide Alachua County into two districts. Alachua County tends to vote differently than the surrounding counties and we are not aware of any reason to divide our county.
We encourage you to go to the Florida Redistricting website and urge that the Senate map keep Alachua County in one district. The League of Women Voters of Alachua County is posting details and tips on effective input as well as frequent updates on our website.
In addition, the board of the League of Women Voters Alachua County has passed a resolution requesting a revision of the Senate maps to consolidate Alachua County into a single district. Get involved protect your vote!
Lynn Frazier and Diane Dimperio are members of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County.
As published by The Gainesville Sun, December 1, 2021
See the original article here: https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2021/12/01/lynn-frazier-diane-dimperio-dont-split-alachua-county-redistricting/8808602002/
