This is the seventh article of a 10 part series on redistricting + apportionment + gerrymandering, in relation to Alabama.
The League of Women Voters of the U. S. launched the People Powered Fair Maps Initiative in 2019.
There are five elements of the PPFM initiative:
- Ballot Initiatives or Referendums
- State Constitutional Options
- State Legislative Fixes
- Federal Legislative Fixes
- Civic Engagement & Education
In assessing the opportunities in each state in relation to these five elements, the national League has made recommendations to the state Leagues.
LWVUS believes our best strategy in Alabama to protect voting rights is at the federal level, through legislation (e.g., the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act). The federal focus is due to several factors, including that Alabama does not allow ballot initiatives or referendums (unlike California), so citizens could not get the issue on the ballot in that way. In relation to the state constitutional option, Alabama (unlike Pennsylvania) does not have a provision in our state constitution that guarantees voting rights. When one party has a dominating hold on the state (the Republicans currently in Alabama), it is unlikely that they would pass legislation that would give away some of their power by, for example, creating what the League recommends: “an independent special commission, with membership that reflects the diversity of the unit of government.” This would accomplish redistricting in a way that creates the fairest maps to give every vote appropriate weight.
To give you an idea of the range of opportunities across states, look at the map below.
This series is a joint effort of the blog editor, Catherine Davies, and other members of the Advocacy Team and Board of the League of Women Voters of Alabama.
