Tag: Alabama Election Protection Network

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Prison ‘gerrymandering’ and Its Impact on Communities

Prison Gerrymandering In Alabama

What is prison gerrymandering?

Every time a U.S. census is conducted its goal is to count the number of people living in a specified area (called a district). When a district contains a prison or jail those who are incarcerated can be counted as residents of the district versus residents where they technically reside.  The problem with this practice is that the census shows an increase in the number of residents for the district, removing the opportunity for fair representation and sending additional funding to areas with prisons instead of areas that really need assistance.  When district lines are drawn to represent communities accurately, they have a greater ability to elect candidates of their choice and hold the elected officials accountable. 

Who does it affect?

Prison gerrymandering affects communities mainly in urban areas. When prisons are disproportionately built in nearby rural areas, and most incarcerated people call an urban area home, census data becomes skewed, allowing areas with prisons to receive enhanced representation. Counting prisoners in the incorrect place results in a systematic transfer of population and political influence from urban to rural areas. According to prisionpolicy.org, in 2018, nearly 46,000 Alabamians were incarcerated in a handful of locations. With so many people grouped into these areas, it’s not difficult to see how prison gerrymandering can cause significant problems.

Visit https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/AL.html for more graphs like this.

How can change be made?

With the help of grassroots partners (such as T.O.P.S.), the Alabama Election Protection Network is organizing a redistricting project to prioritize public education, outreach, and organizing across Alabama. By improving the fairness of the redistricting process, AEPN will help build a more balanced and reflective representative body to ensure Alabamians voices are heard and contribute to determining our policies and priorities.
Learn more about prison gerrymandering and how you can help Alabama Election Protection Network put an end to these practices here.

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Understanding Redistricting and How It Affects You

Alabama Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts. This happens every ten years along with the U.S Census. Redistricting is supposed to reflect population changes and ensure that everyone receives fair representation. 

With a few exceptions, U.S. citizens over 18 years old can exercise their right to vote in local, state, and federal elections. Ideally, elections should represent the will of the people. However, a commonly used tactic, “Gerrymandering,” is when politicians draw districts to give themselves or their party an unfair advantage.

How Gerrymandering Works

What Is a District?

If you live in the U.S., you live in a ‘district.’ A district is a portion of the territory of a country or state. Congressional districts divide regions of a state in an attempt to equally represent the people. Several factors, including population, are considered during the drawing of district lines, which are later approved by state legislators.

The U.S. Census provides information for both the public and politicians to guide us in the redistricting process. The Census measures how population shifts throughout the country. When this data is collected, states are required to redraw their congressional district maps, “redistricting,” to ensure that the districts accurately represent the population.

How Does This Impact Fair Representation?

The way district lines are drawn affects how politicians represent our interests. When those lines are drawn to represent communities accurately, we have a greater ability to elect candidates of our choice and hold politicians accountable. It affects everything from the legislation passed in our communities to where our tax dollars go.

When politicians draw voting maps that benefit themselves, we no longer have the same power to dictate what issues are addressed in our community. We need to change the rules and create a fair system where voters choose the politicians instead of politicians choosing their voters.

People Voting

AEPN’s Redistricting Initiative

With help from our grassroots partners, we are organizing a Redistricting Program to prioritize public education, outreach, and organizing within historically under-represented and under-resourced communities who have the least access to the vote and to political power.

Our primary objective is to educate and engage the following targeted communities by:

  • Empowering smaller organizations to engage their constituencies in the redistricting process.
  • Providing education on the redistricting process for all Alabamians, including communities in rural areas and those who have less access to resources.

Ready to be a part of the change? Click here to learn how.