Marlboro County Council will hold a special called meeting at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22 to discuss redistricting. The meeting, which will be in the council chambers at the Economic Development Partnership Building, is to inform the public about the redistricting process and receive input from the community.

Pearlie Lawson, president of the Marlboro County Branch NAACP, has created a flyer with frequently asked questions about redistricting.

What is Redistricting?

Redistricting is the process by which states and the jurisdictions within them redraw the lines that encompass electoral districts. These districts are the geographical areas from which political representatives are elected on the local, regional, state, and federal lines. The residents of each electoral district vote for who will govern and represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, county commissions, city councils, school boards, and more.

Why does redistricting matter?

Where district lines are drawn may determine where residents can vote, whom they can vote for, and even how responsive elected officials are to constituents’ requests.

When does the redistricting process take place?

Redistricting processes in all states rely upon population data from the U.S. Census. Because the Census is conducted every 10 years, redistricting also takes place every 10 years. The actual timeline of the redistricting process and deadlines varies across states. Some states must submit and enact redistricting plans within two or three months of receipt of Census population data and some states don’t have official redistricting deadlines.

How has redistricting been used to diminish voting power and capacities of

communities of color?

Unfortunately, there is a long history of federal, state, and local officials using the redistricting process as a mechanism for excluding voters of color from the body politic, and/or diminishing their voting power. These schemes most often occur when legislative bodies or redistricting commissions believe that they can ignore the interest of voters of color, or when communities of color and the groups that represent them are not involved in the redistricting process.

How many people should live in one electoral district?

In Reynolds v. Sims, the Supreme Court announced a rule that states legislatures must have districts of approximately equal population size to ensure that everyone has equal representation and political power. This requirement is known as the “one person, one vote” principle. When states embark on the redistricting process, they must follow this rule. Ensuring that each district contains roughly the same number of people requires some simple math. You take the total population in your state (or city, or school district) and divide it by the number of seats on the body you are redistricting. The districts you draw can vary a small amount from the population “ideal” but not more than 10% in the plan overall.

Does race play a factor in redistricting? To what extent?

The racial makeup of voters and communities in redistricting plans is subject to a complex array of law considerations. First, although redistricters are always aware of race when they draw maps, race cannot be used as the sole or predominant basis for the drawing of any district without a compelling justification, such as protecting minority voting rights. If race is the predominant factor when drawing a district, it will have to survive what lawyers call “strict scrutiny”, meaning that the use of race in drawing that district must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling justification. On the other hand, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires the consideration of race, among other factors, to ensure that Black, Latino, and Asian American voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice. Indeed Section 2 is necessary to protect communities of color from having their voting strength diluted in redistricting.

What steps can I take to participate in the redistricting process?

In the redistricting process, it is most important that your voice be heard. Creating alternative redistricting maps is definitely a helpful method of participation. Attend public meetings and provide your input on other maps that have already been created, raising the alarm if a map attempts to concentrate or split minority voters into too few or too many districts and dilutes the political influence of people of color.