Bipartisan Redistricting
Virginia’s General Assembly convenes once a decade to redraw the lines of the state’s electoral districts. While intended to balance out population shifts in the Commonwealth, the process has always been highly partisan. In 2011, a new round of redistricting will occur but the current process of partisan gerrymandering is flawed and needs to be reformed.
Partisan gerrymandering puts political considerations ahead of community interests.
- Governments should encourage community cohesion, rather than division.
- Split communities typically lose one dedicated supporter for their issues and gain numerous representatives who can afford to ignore them politically.
- Some notable examples are Joe Morrisey’s 74th House district, Chris Jones’ 76th House district, and Creigh Deed’s 25th Senatorial district.
Bipartisan redistricting increases governmental legitimacy.
- By placing the power to draw district lines in a separate commission, many potential problems with partisan redistricting are lessened or removed.
- Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.
- Politicians have a conflict of interest between creating fair districts and increasing their party’s political power and their own political safety.
- Partisan redistricting allows a small majority to transform into chamber dominance, marginalizing a significant bloc of voters statewide.
Bipartisan redistricting reduces partisan gridlock.
- Any alternative to partisan redistricting, on average, results in less overall partisan bias.
- Due to the increase in “safe” seats with partisan gerrymandering, representatives have less of a need to compromise. By lowering the number of “safe” seats, bipartisan redistricting also lessens the likelihood of gridlock.
A redistricting commission results in a more efficient government.
- Statistically, maps crafted by bipartisan commissions result in less litigation, freeing up court dockets and saving taxpayers money in court operation.
- By shifting redistricting responsibility to a commission, legislators have more time to tend to the people’s business, like passing a state budget or reaching a solution on transportation funding, during the normal session.