NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Contact:
Doug Israel, Citizens Union 212 227-0342
Rachel Leon, Common Cause/NY 212 691-6421
Barbara Bartoletti, League Of Women Voters/N.Y.S. 518 462-4162
Blair Horner, New York Public Interest Research Group 518 436-0876
REPORT: STATE’S REDISTRICTING PROCESS UNDERMINES “ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE”
RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS HAVE WIDENED POPULATION DISPARITIES IN GERRYMANDERED DISTRICTS
GROUPS URGE CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION
New York State’s process for drawing district lines undermines the democratic principle of “one person, one vote” by allowing legislative districts that vary substantially in size, according to a report released today by a coalition of civic groups. The bedrock principle of “one person, one vote” holds that all Americans should have equal influence in electing their representatives. The groups argued that New York State allows “gerrymandered” districts with vast disparities in population size that, while technically legal, undermine democratic principles.
The report, Unfair Advantage, examined the populations of Assembly and Senate districts and found:
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29 of 212 legislative districts (14 percent) are within one percent of the “ideal size.”
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Population trends since the last census have exacerbated the problem of disproportionately sized districts. The census estimates of 2004 show dramatic changes in population since the last redistricting in 2000. As a result, Senate districts with the smallest populations (upstate) have, typically, lost population while those districts with the largest populations (in New York City) have grown. Thus, the population range in Senate districts is now likely to exceed 10 percent. In the Assembly, the impact is different, with one exception. Long Island Assembly districts that have relatively large populations have experienced growth and as a result, it is possible that the Assembly population range may exceed 10 percent.
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District lines are drawn to minimize electoral competition. Only 25 of the 212 legislative districts (11 percent) have close enrollments. The populations of the other 187 districts favor one party or another by a wide margin.
The groups found that “[a]s a result, New York State’s legislative politics are dominated by the political status quo.”
The groups argued that lawmakers should support legislation creating an independent redistricting commission (A.6287) to create fair legislative districts in New York State and to ensure that districts adhere to the principle of “one person, one vote.”
Click here to download the full report in PDF format (if you have trouble opening the document right-click and choose "save target as" or "save link as")
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