Voices of the League – Page 2

6 of 10: What about the role of the Supreme Court in protecting us from gerrymandering?

The good news here, and it involves a case from Alabama, is that RACIAL gerrymandering is not allowed. The case was Gomillion v. Lightfoot in 1960.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

5 of 10: Everything you never knew about gerrymandering’s origins

Let’s move back in time to 1812 (incidentally, the last time that we had a war with Britain), to Massachusetts, and to a local newspaper making fun of a politician. The politician was Elbridge Gerry (with the G pronounced like the g in “get”), who as governor signed a bill that created safe districts for his party.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

4 of 10: AL’s unfair redistricting process and what we recommend

If we just think about the numbers in terms of statewide voter preferences, if we have 7 Congressional districts, then 3 of them should have sent a Democrat to Congress, and 4 of them should have sent a Republican. But what do we actually have? Only 1 in 7 (14%) was won by a Democrat. Does this seem fair to you in terms of actual representation of citizens by elected officials?

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

3 of 10: Was AL losing a federal Congressional district because of the 2020 Census?

In a representative democracy, we citizens elect people to represent us in various governmental bodies. But consider the difference between electing somebody to represent 10 people, versus 10,000 people. In the case of the U.S. Senate, it’s already set: The entire population of a given state elects two senators. For Alabama, that means that each of us is one of about 3.5 million registered voters eligible to cast a vote for each senator (out of a state population of 5 million).

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

2 of 10: It all starts with the Census

The basis for all redistricting is the data from the U.S. Census. The first nation in the world to take a regular population census, the United States has been counting its population every 10 years since 1790—as required by the U.S. Constitution.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

1 of 10: Why redistricting matters in AL and why you should care

The way that districts are drawn can give an elected representative (and here we’re talking about Congress, but this applies to ANY level: Congress, state legislature, city council, school board, etc.) a motivation either to care about the views of all of their voters and try to take them into account, including voters of the other party, or to feel free to ignore them.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Civic Action Democracy

Voting Protections For the People

Our House of Representatives has recently passed HR 1, the “For the People Act,” and it is now in the Senate as S 1. Sometimes the name of a bill is intended to misrepresent the contents or gaslight the audience, but this one is real. It draws on the words of Abraham Lincoln, who described our democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” It contains a range of important and interrelated measures that will strengthen American democracy by increasing voter accessibility and will allow more Americans to let their…

By Elsa Roberts May 18, 2021Civic Action, Democracy

Civic Action Democracy

Zooming our way to public service

Our League in Tuscaloosa built recently on the LWV’s long history of moderating non-partisan forums for election candidates. Some of you may be old enough to remember when the LWVUS moderated nationally-televised presidential debates until that role was taken away from us by the national party organizations. Local Leagues have a proud history of organizing and moderating forums for candidates for local elections, and until the pandemic we did that in person. Typically, they would be held in the evening in an accessible location. Our question committee would gather ideas and formulate questions for…

By Catherine Davies April 22, 2021Civic Action, Democracy

Civic Action Democracy

Why should we care about voting rights?

As members of the League of Women Voters, we sometimes take for granted that voting rights are essential. Many Americans know the history of the struggle for the right to vote for ALL citizens and understand the importance of voting rights, but we still hear questions like the following: “What’s the big deal about voting rights?” or “Why should I care about voting rights?” The basic answer is that, in a democracy, your vote is your voice. As Americans, we all want our voices to be heard. Do you realize what we Americans accomplished…

By Advocacy Team April 14, 2021Civic Action, Democracy

2021Leg

Make Records Open, Accessible, and Affordable

Without SB165 we can’t check on what our government is up to easily and in a timely manner and we are left without a way to hold officials accountable and cannot be assured that our government is working for us and not for monied interests who can afford pricey lobbyists.

By Advocacy Team April 7, 20212021Leg

Advocating for Sales Tax Exemption on Hearing Aids in Alabama

Let’s think more deeply about an important issue

6 of 10: What about the role of the Supreme Court in protecting us from gerrymandering?

5 of 10: Everything you never knew about gerrymandering’s origins

4 of 10: AL’s unfair redistricting process and what we recommend

3 of 10: Was AL losing a federal Congressional district because of the 2020 Census?

2 of 10: It all starts with the Census

1 of 10: Why redistricting matters in AL and why you should care

Voting Protections For the People

Zooming our way to public service

Why should we care about voting rights?

Make Records Open, Accessible, and Affordable