Hey Arkansas! Learn Why You Should Leave a Public Comment About Redistricting with Hope Adair.

In America redistricting is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected voters against racial gerrymandering by requiring states to prove that their changes to voting systems, including redistricting, do not have any discriminatory effect. The Single-Member District Mandate, a congressional act enacted in 1967, requires that representatives be elected from single member districts. Redistricting in Arkansas happens every 10 years following the release of the Census data. How and where districts are drawn determines where residents can vote, who they can vote for, and even how responsive elected officials are to their constituents’ requests. All communities deserve equal access to political representation. In Arkansas, maps are drawn by an Apportionment Board consisting of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Arkansas’ state constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous, meaning connected, and to keep counties themselves whole. All state and local districts must also adhere to the 10% rule – meaning that there cannot be more than a 10% population size different between districts. The Apportionment Board also considers compactness, maintaining the core of existing districts, continuity of representation, as well as respecting communities of interest. “Communities” may refer to social or cultural connections, racial or ethnic communities, religious identities, or even political attitudes. Communities of interest can also include things like public school district boundaries and military bases. Many local elected officials breeze past young voters under the assumption that they are fleeting and aren’t going to stay long, so they continue to cater to the older, wealthier, settled down community. But I ask – which came first, the chicken or the egg? Young voters would be more likely to participate in the voting process and engage in policy if their opinions were taken more seriously and discussed. Redistricting is a way to ensure that young people attending the Downtown Art Walks, Music Downtown at Sundown, Fall Fest, and going to places like Fat Daddy’s, Old Bank, and Cagle’s Mill to hang out will be collectively listened to. And not just listened to – heard. Go to https://arkansasredistricting.org and use your mouse to click “make a public comment. Next, scroll down to type in your name,  city, county, state, phone number and ZIP code. Next, leave a comment of 700 characters or less about your motivation for submitting a comment. Communities should get involved in redistricting if they feel their issues have not been adequately addressed by their elected representative. We should use this as an opportunity to address community issues in personal impact stories. Stories help demonstrate the importance of having elected officials who understand and respond to community needs. Sharing your community of interest testimony at is a powerful way of shaping your community’s district maps for the next decade to come Leaving your comment on redistricting will only take a few minutes and it’s an opportunity to let your voice be heard to influence how our government can work for us. By submitting your comment you’ve made sure your voice is heard in this pivotal redistricting process. Thanks for being an active citizen in the redistricting process in Arkansas,