North Carolina SB 642: Independent Redistricting Commission
Gerrymandering — the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a political party — is crippling our democracy. Independent Redistricting Commissions (IRCs) take the map drawing process within redistricting out of the hands of politicians. This bill in the North Carolina General Assembly would establish the North Carolina Citizens Redistricting Commission to put power back in the hands of the people.
This bill centers those who are not fairly represented to ensure that North Carolina’s redistricting maps represent all communities across our state equitably. Every vote should carry the same weight no matter who draws political districts nor who casts a ballot.
IRCs allow for greater public input and can empower everyday folks, voters, and experts alike as map drawers and members of the Commission. Our Commission will restore integrity to the electoral process by making map drawing a politically neutral process that respects all residents of our state and puts people over politicians
Why This Matters
North Carolina is the only state that has a complete and total unfettered check on redistricting. The state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state legislature and are not subject to the Governor’s veto. That means legislators are drawing their own district lines. This has turned North Carolina into one of the country’s most notoriously gerrymandered states, silencing the voices of its communities.
