League of Women Voters ^®
of South Carolina

Guest Essay: The Island Packet/Beaufort Gazettte

Maps drawn for the state’s 124 House districts and our seven Congressional districts are gerrymandered to protect incumbents of both parties and to advantage the current political party in power. 

Proposed Congressional maps eliminate the only naturally competitive district in the state in their reallocation of voters in Congressional District 1. It would make more sense - as the League’s proposed map recommends - to keep Charleston whole and make Beaufort County a part of a realigned District 2 which includes Jasper County, with which Beaufort County shares regional economic interests. This alignment would restore Congressional District 1’s competitiveness.

The fix has been in by members of the S.C. House for a long time. For months, they’ve been actors in a theatrical drama of their own creation to make it look like newly redrawn voting districts are fair.

South Carolina’s House redistricting panel could advance a voting map proposal this week, roughly a week after taking public testimony on its plan. Dozens of residents, advocacy organizations, and Democratic party officials have weighed in on the proposal since it was released earlier this month, with many raising concerns about how lines were drawn and the way lawmakers have conducted the once-a-decade process of ensuring all districts have equivalent populations.

The League found that the proposed SC Senate map is in most respects reasonable and fair to the citizens of the state. We have concerns about the effects of the growth of Lowcountry suburbs on districts that have long been heavily minority and rural, especially District 39, but we don’t ask for revision that would lead to “packing” that or any other district.

We found the proposed SC House plan to be an extreme gerrymander, highly protective of incumbents, and extremely non-competitive. With more than 41,000 residents in each district, this means that the House plan would unnecessarily deprive more than a quarter million South Carolinians of the right to be represented by someone that they choose in the November general elections. The damaging impacts would be felt by voters who identify with both major parties.

It is important for everyone to remain engaged in this process. We are a long way from the finish line.