District lines determine political voice.
Shutterstock photo.
INDIANAPOLIS – On Monday, an amended bill that would create a pathway to adopting non-partisan redistricting was voted down.
State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) offered the amendment, but House Republicans defeated the amendment 67 to 28.
“Republicans are clinging to the power that partisan redistricting gives them,” Pierce said. “The current redistricting process is inherently flawed. Elected officials, including legislators, have an inherent conflict of interest when they draw their own districts. Partisan redistricting makes general elections largely irrelevant, shifting control of elections to the most partisan primary voters. This results in a General Assembly that does not reflect the views of a majority of Hoosiers. It’s time to return the power to choose our elected officials to the people.”
Once in a decade, Indiana redraws district lines based on data gathered in the Census. Those new district lines determine political voice.
According to the ALCU, legislators have used redistricting throughout history to attack the right to vote and weaken the voting power in certain communities. That is done using gerrymandering tactics, where legislators manipulate voting district lines in ways that dilute the voting power of communities of color.
State Rep. Pierce says Indiana ranked 50th for voter turnout in the 2022 election.
“Perhaps Indiana voters don’t vote because the Republican-drawn maps allow for little to no competition in our elections. My amendment would have made many more elections competitive, giving people more reasons to participate in our democracy,” Pierce added.
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