District boundaries are drawn without regard for the best interests of voters, and American democracy is suffering.
It's time to end gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering the Movie:
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Every ten years, following the national Census, city council, state legislature and congressional district boundaries must be redrawn to reflect the nation’s growing and shifting population. Do you know who draws the lines of your district and how this will affect your next election, the school system your children belong to, or the interests of the community you live in? Do you know what options you have under the current rules – and how to change them?
Much of the work of redistricting takes place behind closed doors. Legislators and political consultants decide which streets or neighborhoods are in or out, specialists make the maps, and the public has little opportunity to weigh in. Districts are often crafted for political gain – a practice known as gerrymandering.
We believe that this should change – that the process should be more transparent and that the web enables us all to be more involved. Armed with knowledge and the right tools, you should have a chance to redraw the map on redistricting and to end gerrymandering.
WHAT'S NEW IN REDISTRICTING REFORM
The Brennan Center for Justice on how redistricting affected the government shutdown: "Seven Things to Know About Redistricting"
FairVote's preliminary edition of Monopoly Politics 2014 was featured on MSNBC. The final version of the Monopoly Politics 2014 is now released and covers how safe most incumbents are in their districts. It also has developed a fair representation voting plan for the entire United States Congress, viewable in an interactive map and described state-by-state in the Fair Voting 2012 report. The plan combines existing congressional districts into larger "super districts" drawn by commissions that each elect multiple representatives using candidate-based forms of proportional representation such as ranked choice voting.
Justin Levitt's All About Redistricting site as the best place to track litigation and legislative action involving redistricting.
EndGerrymandering.com is a collaboration between five groups who launched the site to coincide with the premiere of the new documentary film GERRYMANDERING by filmmaker Jeff Reichert. Committed to transforming the redistricting process by making it more transparent and collaborative, these five groups decided that there was a real opportunity to provide the public with a forum where ideas, opinions, and resources could be exchanged in order to foster and encourage the movement to end the practice of gerrymandering.
It is our hope that this site will develop into a vehicle to promote social networking and activism that revolve around the fight against gerrymandering nationwide and advocate in favor of a more citizen-oriented and transparent redistricting process. While there are many similar efforts focused on change in individual states, this site is intended to have a national scope and will eventually provide the following interactive features:
• Online collaborative drawing tools
• Ability to exchange and comment on redistricting plans
• Online forum
• Tools to contact and lobby elected officials at a local, state and federal level
• Ability to upload and link to videos of hearings on redistricting
• Tools to evaluate the impact of alternative plans and voting systems designed to increase voter power
Gerrymandering – A documentary film by Jeff Reichert
Brennan Center for Justice on Redistricting - The Brennan Center's complete resources on the 2011-2012 redistricting process, its effects, and options for reform
The Fair Voting Solution for U.S. House Elections - FairVote's interactive map illustrating its complete fair representation voting plan for the U.S. House. Fair voting involves the use of multi-member districts and proportional, candidate-based voting methods.
Michael McDonald US Elections Project - An effort by Professor Michael McDonald to increase transparency and public participation in redistricting by providing the tools to draw legal redistricting plans
Redrawing the Map on Redistricting 2010 - A white paper by Azavea on district compactness after the latest round of redistricting
Redistricting the Nation - Look up your address and see how your district's compactness compares to other local, state and federal districts
The Redistricting Game - A redistricting simulation by the USC Annenberg Center designed to educate citizens on the factors that must be considered in drawing district lines
All About Redistricting - Professor Justin Levitt's guide to how electoral lines are drawn
EndGerrymandering.com is a collaborative effort by the following groups