ICPR asks Chicago aldermen to ramp up efforts to engage public in ward redistricting
The Chicago City Council has announced six preliminary public hearings to take input from residents about the 2011 ward remapping cycle. Below is the testimony ICPR presented to the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics, which is in charge of the redistricting process, Monday, Nov. 14.
Good evening. My name is Whitney Woodward and I’m with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
ICPR is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that researches and advocates for transparency and accountability in government. ICPR is also a member of the steering committee of the Illinois Campaign for Accountable Redistricting, also known as Draw the Line Illinois.
For the last two years, ICPR has sought to increase public awareness about redistricting on the state level. ICPR has sought to educate the public about the importance of redistricting on their government and the historic lack of opportunities for residents to monitor and participate in the process. We also have proposed models to increase public engagement and advocated for substantive change. Our work includes testifying before Illinois House and Senate committees on redistricting legislation, advocating for public hearings and the release of information about draft maps, and monitoring opportunities for public involvement during the spring legislative session.
We are here today to continue these efforts to build a more transparent and accountable redistricting process in Chicago. ICPR believes that a representative democracy functions best when it is open and accessible to the public. Given the profound impact that redistricting has on Chicago municipal elections, and the inherent problem that arises in a system that gives aldermen the sole authority to draw the districts governing their future elections, there clearly exists a need for sunshine in Chicago’s redistricting process. Furthermore, I would suggest that given the seismic population shifts reported by the Census only increases the need for public involvement and participation in the ward remapping.
While we appreciate the leadership demonstrated by Ald. Mell and the City Council in introducing and passing a redistricting transparency resolution. However, we also realize that the passage and adherence to that resolution does not go far enough in guaranteeing Chicago residents a meaningful opportunity to monitor and participate in the redrawing of their ward boundaries.
ICPR asks this committee to take the following action to improve transparency and accountability in this current redistricting cycle:
-- In accordance with the resolution: Create an informational website and release to the public, in ranked order, the information which the Council will use in drafting and evaluating ward maps. Chicago residents need to be engaged in this process, and that engagement can start with education.
-- Commit to holding at least five hearings on a draft map, with as much notice as possible – our coalition prefers two weeks’ notice – to give residents an opportunity to evaluate any full proposal, its compliance with mapping criteria and impact on communities, which includes compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act. Demographics and a narrative explaining the proposal are critical to enabling the public to make sense of a draft and offer thoughtful feedback to this committee and council.
Careful redistricting can encourage a healthy political environment by creating opportunities for communities to elect candidates who understand their needs. To achieve this, there is no better expert that you, as the creators of the map, can consult than the Chicago resident. We remain hopeful that the City Council will have an open and meaningful dialogue with the public as it proceeds in this process. These preliminary hearings are a good start, but there is much to do and not much time in which to do it. We look forward to working with you to achieve the shared goal of making Chicago’s 2011 redistricting the most open and fair redistricting process yet. There is plenty of room for improvement.
Thank you, and I welcome any questions you may have.
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Illinois Campaign for Political Reform principles
1. An accurate and complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts;
2. The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public;
3. The redistricting process, at all levels of government, must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body;
4. In order to achieve representative democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that allows elected bodies to reflect the diversity of the populace, especially racial and ethnic diversity; and
5. The redistricting process must be structured to promote fair, competitive, and representative districts.
Illinois Campaign for Accountable Redistricting principles
With respect to the map drawing process, ICAR organizations agree that maps produced by
the State and City of Chicago should respect the following criteria:
1. That every ward drawn must achieve population equity; each ward must be
comprised of the same number of people;
2. That compliance with the Federal Voting Rights Act, providing for majority‐minority
districts or wards is imperative;
3. That the wards be compact and contiguous;
4. That communities of interest must, where possible, be respected, including minority
populations; and
5. That wards be drawn without consideration of an incumbent’s address and without
regard to political considerations.
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