2014 Constitutional Amendment on New York State Redistricting - Prop 1

1. a Campaign of Citizens Union
and the League of Women Voters of New York State
www.voteyesforprogress.org 1

2. • Every 10 years (at least), after
the census
• Congress, state legislature,
many local legislatures
• Sorts voters into groups,
distributes political power
2
Brennan Center For Justice. (2010). National Overview of Redistricting: Who draws the lines?
http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/national-overview-redistricting-who-draws-lines
www.voteyesforprogress.org

3. • Allows voters to choose their
politicians, instead of
politicians choosing their
voters
• Encourages challenges to
incumbents
• Protects minority voters
• Keeps communities together
www.voteyesforprogress.org 3

4. • Lines drawn to benefit one
party or politician
• Unequal population
undermines concept of “One
Person, One Vote”
• Maintains political status quo
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5. 5
• For more than 50 years, legislators have controlled the
redistricting process, drawing district lines that eliminate fair,
competitive elections.
• The majorities in power have dominated the process, using
tools of gerrymandering to minimize the political power of
certain communities.
• Gerrymandering has resulted in Upstate New York being
underrepresented in the State Assembly, and Downstate New
York being underrepresented in the State Senate.

6. • No competition at the polls: 85% of incumbents were
uncontested in the 2014 primaries
• 97% re-election rate for incumbents in 2012
• NY is 47th in the nation in turnout of eligible voters
• No accountability
• Culture of corruption: 28 legislators forced from office
since 2000, and two more indicted
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7.  How did it happen?
◦ Legislature passed a bill to reform how legislative and congressional
districts are drawn in New York State through a proposed amendment
to the state constitution
 What is the next step?
◦ Proposition 1 must be approved by voters on November 4, 2014, to
take effect. It is on the back of the ballot.
 What will happen if it doesn’t pass?
◦ The old, rigged redistricting process will stay in place.
If we don’t act, we may never have a chance to take power back.
www.voteyesforprogress.org 7

8. 8
Proposition 1 puts power back in the hands of New Yorkers, giving us new power to hold
legislators accountable:
• CURBS THE POWER OF STATE LEGISLATORS TO DRAW THEIR OWN LINES
• ESTABLISHES NEW RULES THAT REMOVE PARTISANSHIP & ENSURE
IMPARTIALITY
• CREATES A FAIR AND PUBLIC PROCESS
 VOTE YES FOR PROGRESS
www.voteyesforprogress.org

9. STATUS QUO:
Legislative Task Force for
Demographic Research and
Reapportionment (LATFOR)
UNDER PROPOSITION 1:
Redistricting Commission
6 Members:
 2 from Senate Majority Party
 1 from Senate Minority Party
 2 from Assembly Majority Party
 1 from Assembly Minority Party
By law 4 of the 6
members of LATFOR are
Legislators
10 Members:
 Each of the 4 legislative leaders
appoints 2 major party members
 2 additional members not
Republicans or Democrats
0 of the 10 Commission
members are Legislators
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10.  Legislators and their staff
 Statewide elected officials
 Members of Congress
 Spouses of the above groups
 Lobbyists
 State officers or employees
 Political party chairs
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11.  The Board of Elections does NOT have:
◦ Unaffiliated or third-party members
◦ Supermajority votes
◦ Extensive prohibitions on who can serve
 The Commission is politically balanced and will
encourage cooperation and collaboration
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12.  Bans “partisan gerrymandering” by requiring that districts
not be drawn to favor or disfavor any incumbents, candidates
or parties or to discourage competition
 Requires maps preserve communities of interest and protect
minority groups by codifying national Voting Rights Act
language in the state constitution
 Preventing drastic and arbitrary changes to districts. If
districts are not nearly equal in population, a written
explanation from the Commission must accompany the plan.
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13. • Plans approved by the 10-member commission
need a supermajority of seven members vote in
favor, ensuring balance and cooperation.
• If one party controls both houses, approval requires
a 2/3 vote in each house, protecting against one-party
dominance.
www.voteyesforprogress.org 13

14.  Proposition 1 strips legislators of their unchecked power to draw
their own district lines by establishing a politically balanced
commission.
 If the legislature TWICE fails to approve the commission’s plan, it
can’t just start over. It must work from the commission’s plan and
comply with the new rules and standards in the state constitution,
and no one district’s population can be changed by more than 2%.
 LATFOR consists of legislators and is controlled by the leadership =
legislators drawing their own lines
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15.  The amendment requires 12 hearings across the state,
which ensures public input in line-drawing
 It requires that maps, data and software be made available
to the public, enabling the public to draw alternative lines.
 Under the current process, there are no requirements for
hearings, maps or data to be provided to the public
www.voteyesforprogress.org 15

16.  The ban on partisan gerrymandering only exists in 4 states,
including Florida, where voters successfully sued
 NYS voters cannot achieve reform through voter initiated
referenda, like California
 Most states leave redistricting completely in the hands of the
legislature
 Even in Iowa, where a nonpartisan agency has been a model
for redistricting reform, the legislature has final sign-off of
the lines
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17.  A Rare Opportunity to fix an entrenched, broken
redistricting system
 Curb the Power of State Legislators to draw their own
lines
 Ban partisan gerrymandering by outlawing legislative
maps drawn for political advantage and give New
Yorkers new power to hold legislators accountable.
www.voteyesforprogress.org 17

18. 18
 Establishes New Rules that Remove Partisanship and
Ensure Impartiality
 Creates a Fair and Public Process
If we don’t act, we may never have a chance to take power back.
 Vote Yes For Progress
And A Fair Redistricting Process
www.voteyesforprogress.org

19. 19
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