Redistricting: Key Things to Remember

Remember the One Person, One Vote Doctrine:

This doctrine mandates that each election district for a particular legislative body contain an equal number of citizens, to ensure that each individual’s vote is given equal weight in the electoral process.

Understand Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA):

Prohibits any voting practice/procedure that results in denial and/or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race, national origin, color;

Prohibits vote dilution;

Does not require proof of discriminatory intent.

Understand Section 5 of the VRA:

Freezes election practices/procedures until new procedures are reviewed by the US. Dept. of Justice or U.S. District Court;

Ensures that no voting procedure changes are made that would lead to a retrogression in the position of racial minorities with respect to their effective exercise of the electoral franchise.