Comment: Public-centered process needed for political borders
It’s 2024. Do you know your voting district? Check again.
Washington state has a new legislative map. The new map changes 13 legislative districts with the most significant changes to Legislative Districts 14 and 15 in south central Washington. The Washigton Office of the Secretary of State has confirmed that these lines will displace five sitting legislators. An analysis by The League of Women Voters of Washington shows that nearly 500,000 voters are affected by the changes.
How did we get here?
These changes are the result of a lawsuit that successfully challenged the 2021 maps as being in violation of Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. The U.S. District Court ruled that the 15th district’s borders in Yakima were discriminatory toward Latino voters, forcing the redrawing of legislative districts in central Washington. A newly drawn 14th district satisfies the court’s requirement that Latino voters have a good chance to elect the candidates of their choice. But creating this district caused a ripple effect, as the changes swirled through surrounding districts to balance population numbers.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-public-centered-process-needed-for-political-borders/