how do we determine who we are voting for? redistricting

How Do We Determine Who We Are Voting For?

Redistricting

It Really is a Puzzle

Guidelines for Districts

• What guidance does the Constitution give? −General Ticket System

−Single Member District

−At-Large

1842• Removal of General Election System

• State Legislatures

• Continuous Territory

1872• Population

US States Based Correlated with Country

Population

1901• Compact Territory

7th Congressional District Becomes the 10th Congressional

District

Gerrymandering

Definition• Drawing district boundaries to

the advantage of one group over another.

Why Gerrymander?• Concentrate opposition in as few districts as

possible.

• Spread out the opposition and mix them with your majority.

Baker v Carr (1962)

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

2020616

2184789 2337885

2616556

2915841 329718 3567089

Tennessee Population

Baker v Carr (1962)

• Congressional districts hadn’t been changed since 1901.

Wesberry v Sanders (1964)

• Rural v Urban Representation

• Article I, Section 2

− Apportioned by respective numbers

− One Man, One Vote

Political Commentary

Ohio Redistricting• Apportionment Board

− Governor− Secretary of State− State Auditor− One representative of the Speaker of the House− One member of the opposite party

Ohio’s 2010 Apportionment Board

Governor John Kasich R

Chair

Auditor David Yost R

Vice Chair

Jon Husted R Armond Budish D

Thomas Niehaus R

Shifting Population

1990 Census Congressional Districts

2000 Census Congressional Districts

Comparing 1990 and 2000

2010 Census Districts/ Election 2012

2000 Census Congressional Districts