Friday, September 10, 2021

The bottom line is that gerrymandering is a threat to our democracy and values

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Diane -- Now that redistricting has kicked off in earnest, things are going to move very quickly. Legislators and commissioners in some key states have already released first drafts of their legislative maps, and some maps may even be passed into law soon. So it's incredibly important that the NDRC has the resources and agility to respond as needed.

You can help -- and I'm hoping you will. Will you make a quick donation to give us the means to fight for fair maps?

We'll be reaching out frequently about the successes and challenges in each state throughout redistricting, but today I want to speak about why we're in this fight to begin with.

The fact is, you can't overstate the consequences of gerrymandering. It's a practice used by politicians to take away power from voters and keep it for themselves.

Candidates with unpopular and even dangerous views can easily win districts that should be competitive, and then pursue policies that do not reflect what most people in the state actually want. We saw the terrible consequences of that on display twice this month in Texas when the legislature's appalling anti-abortion law was allowed to take effect by the Supreme Court and then the governor signed a dangerous voter suppression bill just days later.

The bottom line is that gerrymandering is a threat to our democracy and our values.

Map manipulation combines with voter suppression, as well as recent Republican attacks on election infrastructure and officials, to really put our entire system of government in jeopardy.

When we launched the NDRC with President Obama's support back in 2017, we didn't know where this journey would lead. But now that we're here, it turns out the stakes of ending gerrymandering are even higher than we had imagined.

2021 and 2022 will be uniquely pivotal years in deciding the future of our country. With democracy itself at stake, I've never needed your help more.

We're running out of time to ensure fair maps for the next 10 years. Can you pitch in now to help us complete our mission?

Thank you,

Eric H. Holder, Jr.



 

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