Redistricting Will Begin Soon, With 2020 Census Data in Question By Some
By JR Contributor Molly Ashford
2020 U.S. Census data was recently released, and it lays the foundation for the tedious, politically charged process of redistricting. The Nebraska legislature will convene for a special session in mid-September to redraw boundaries for a variety of governmental districts, including those which determine how Nebraskans are represented in congress and the state legislature.
The boundaries must be guided by population estimates from census data.
The U.S. census was, until 2020, a relatively non-controversial effort to collect an accurate count of how many people live in any given area. These numbers do more than provide a demographic overview of the United States; they determine state-level electoral districts and the amount of congressional seats each state is allotted.
The accuracy of census data has been in question since early 2020, when Trump’s White House began a string of attempts that some say used the tool as a way to target undocumented immigrants. Though each attempt failed, the politicization of the process coupled with the ongoing pandemic led to concerns about undercounting. Regardless of accuracy, the redistricting process is underway with 2020 census data as its guide. For some insight on this process, NOISE spoke to ACLU of Nebraska executive director and former state senator Danielle Conrad spoke about what redistricting really means, and why it is so important to pay attention.
“Redistricting sets the course for fair elections, which underpin our democratic process and values, for the next 10 years…It ensures that people who represent us at every level of government are truly representative of who we are and our communities.”
In May, a legislative resolution outlining redistricting guidelines was adopted by the legislature. This resolution requires district boundaries to be “easily identifiable and understandable to voters”. Additionally, boundaries are not to be established with the intent of favoring any particular political party or demographic group. The ultimate goal is for districts to be about equal in population. Congressional districts can have a maximum population difference of one percent, while legislative districts have more leeway; populations can differ between districts by 10 percent. SenatorAdam Morfeld of Lincoln proposed an amendment to bring the legislative maximum down to eight percent, which was not passed.
69 of Nebraska’s 93 counties experienced a Population decrease.
It is possible that Nebraska’s metropolitan areas could gain a seat or two in the state legislature because of stagnation or loss of population in most rural counties. Census data released this month indicates that nearly 56 percent of Nebraskans reside in the three most populous counties: Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy. Each experienced substantial growth in the past decade: Douglas and Lancaster each grew by 13 percent since 2010, while Sarpy’s population increased by 20 percent.
On the flip side, 69 of Nebraska’s 93 counties saw a decrease in population. This population shift away from rural areas paired with the sharp increase in urban populations making Nebraska’s metropolitan areas entitled to one or two additional seats in the legislature. Though the legislature has gotten the most attention in this cycle, Conrad says that the congressional districts could see some movement as well.
“Preliminary numbers show that the existing congressional districts will require some boundary changes because they are out of bounds when it comes to population,” she said. “The greater question when it comes to these districts is where these lines will be drawn to accommodate that almost-equal requirement.”
The redistricting committee is required under state law (Rule 3, § 6(g)-(j))to hold at least one public meeting about the draft maps in each congressional district. Conrad says that these should become widely publicized in the coming weeks. She also encourages people to keep an eye out for red flags in redistricting maps that come out in the following weeks.
“Any time you see a county being split up, that’s something that should make you look a little harder,” she said. “Districts should be continuous and compact. If you look at a map and it divides your neighborhood or community in a strange way that doesn’t comport with your own experience, that’s another key red flag.” For more information about redistricting or to contact your state senator, visit the Nebraska legislature website.
