Gerrymandering 101

[Redfish]

Gerrymandering? Not in Iowa - Times Union

How does Iowa do it?

In 1980, the Iowa legislature gave responsibility for drawing up redistricting plans to the Legislative Service Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that also manages the legislative library, computer services and legal drafting.

It also established a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission of four members appointed by the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The commission's chairperson, elected by the appointees, cannot hold a partisan political office or political party office, work for the legislature or be related to or employed by a state or federal legislator.

By law, the Legislative Service Agency starts with population equality (one man, one vote) as the most important criteria for a new map. Whenever possible, it must set district boundaries that match the boundaries of political subdivisions such as counties and keep to a minimum the number of counties or cities split into more than one district.

Iowa law further requires that districts be reasonably compact in shape -- defined as "square, rectangular, or hexagonal ... and not irregularly shaped," and there are factors the agency is prohibited from considering.

Good for Iowa---------what point are you trying to make?

1. The drawing of Congressional Districts should be non-partisan
2. Voting blocks and party affiliations should not be a consideration
3. Districts should have roughly equal populations
4. Districts should follow county boundaries and then local municipalities to the maximum extent possible

We agree. Have you written to your senators and congressmen about making this happen? Or are you all talk and no action?

 

[rightwinger]

Good for Iowa---------what point are you trying to make?

1. The drawing of Congressional Districts should be non-partisan
2. Voting blocks and party affiliations should not be a consideration
3. Districts should have roughly equal populations
4. Districts should follow county boundaries and then local municipalities to the maximum extent possible

We agree. Have you written to your senators and congressmen about making this happen? Or are you all talk and no action?

Even better!

I posted on the interweb

 

[Redfish]

1. The drawing of Congressional Districts should be non-partisan
2. Voting blocks and party affiliations should not be a consideration
3. Districts should have roughly equal populations
4. Districts should follow county boundaries and then local municipalities to the maximum extent possible

We agree. Have you written to your senators and congressmen about making this happen? Or are you all talk and no action?

Even better!

I posted on the interweb

LOL yeah right, I am sure that dingy Harry Reid reads all of your posts.

 

[Defiant1]

The process is very simple

Pack as many Democrats as you can into one or two districts and make all the other districts 55-45 Republican

In a state with 1 million people and five districts of 200,000

District 1 180K D 20K R
District 2 90K D 110K R
District 3 90K D 110K R
District 4 90K D 110K R
District 5 90K D 110K R

Even though the state is 540K Democrats to 460K Republican, Republicans manage to take 4 of 5 seats

Just look at North Carolina to see Gerrymandering at its worst

Congressional districts are based on the current population figures not registered voters or the number of people in a party.
The districts within a state are to be designed to be as close to equal as possible, usually no more the 1 person difference.

Evidently not

Which state do you think didn't obey those rules? I know Florida did because I checked it out. The 27 districts were all within 1 person in population, according to the 2010 census.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Congressional districts are based on the current population figures not registered voters or the number of people in a party.
The districts within a state are to be designed to be as close to equal as possible, usually no more the 1 person difference.

Evidently not

Which state do you think didn't obey those rules? I know Florida did because I checked it out. The 27 districts were all within 1 person in population, according to the 2010 census.

His current whine is about North Carolina.

 

[Yurt]

Both sides...not just Republicans.

Doesn't matter

The process disenfranchises the voter. Political affiliation or voting patterns should have no bearing in defining Congressional districts

yet your OP merely slams the pubs...

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Redfish]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

another libtardian thread demolished by the facts

 

[Missourian]

Maryland...100% Democrat Gerrymandered...

Link to 2013-14 district map...too big to post...http://alephblog.com/http:/alephblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MD_Gerrymander.jpghttp://www.usmessageboard.com/planning.maryland.gov/images/redistricting/maps/2010cong/Statewide.jpg

 

[rightwinger]

We agree. Have you written to your senators and congressmen about making this happen? Or are you all talk and no action?

Even better!

I posted on the interweb

LOL yeah right, I am sure that dingy Harry Reid reads all of your posts.

I firmly believe that posting on the Interweb is more effective than Congress right now

 

[rightwinger]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

another libtardian thread demolished by the facts

How so?

By designing an "all black" Congressional district you open up several districts to be Republican seats

I stand by my OP

 

[Seawytch]

I don't care which state or party is doing it. Stop it.
http://m.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0322/How-gerrymandering-undermines-democracy

 

[rightwinger]

Needs to be taken out of the hands of the legslature.

 

[Missourian]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

another libtardian thread demolished by the facts

How so?

By designing an "all black" Congressional district you open up several districts to be Republican seats

I stand by my OP

Racial gerrymandering is the result of the federal Voters Rights Act (VRA).

See for yourself...

The facts of the Shaw case were that the 1990 Census created entitlement to an additional seat because of population changes and that same year the state created a redistricting plan with one black-controlled district and then submitted it to Justice Department for evaluation for compliance with the VRA, with the Justice [Department] objecting to the plan because of a failure to create a second black-controlled district in a black population center in the southeast portion of the state.

Daily Kos: Judicial Review of Racial Gerrymandering: A Problem for Democrats​

 

[Missourian]

Needs to be taken out of the hands of the legslature.

Well, what state do you live in?

Hop to it.

Elections are a state power...let's see you and Seawytch get it enacted in New York and California...and we will follow your lead.

/thread

 

[Yurt]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Yurt]

Ok it is the 12th district which is a joke. Designed to give a black majority, talk about Gerrymandering. I bet none of the liberal cry babies care about that.

NC law requires the State to use Counties as best they can with population to create districts. Well except 12 that is. Created by Democrats I might add.

North Carolina's congressional districts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

another libtardian thread demolished by the facts

How so?

By designing an "all black" Congressional district you open up several districts to be Republican seats

I stand by my OP

yet your OP only complains about the gop

 

[g5000]

One only has to consider the fact Michigan somehow has a Republican-controlled legislature to know something is amiss there.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Maryland...100% Democrat Gerrymandered...

Yep, Maryland is one of the best examples. The Democrats over the last two redistricting sessions took their Congressional delegation from 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans in 2002 to 7 Democrats and 1 Republican in 2013.

Strange that the OP didn't focus on that one, huh.

 

[blackhawk]

This reminds me of the way liberals whine about conservative talk radio because it succeeds where liberal talk radio fails same with gerrymandering or anything else both sides try that conservatives do better here you guys could clearly use this.