NASSAU COUNTY GERRYMANDERING GRAND PRIX

ROSLYN, NY (03/23/2014)(readMedia)-- ROSLYN, LI: Today a non-partisan coalition of advocates rallied to oppose gerrymandered county legislative districts and pressure the County Legislature to reform the redistricting process. Standing at near the intersection of five different districts (9, 10, 11, 16, 18), Common Cause/NY Executive Director illustrated the chop-shop division of communities across the North Shore.

"We're driving the Gerrymandering Grand Prix in order to illustrate how removed the current gerrymandered county legislative districts are from the actual communities of interest in which Nassau County residents live," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. "Gerrymandering hurts our democracy by dividing communities, entrenching incumbents, and discouraging political competition and participation. Here in Nassau, we have the opportunity to end gerrymandering for good by amending the county charter to establish a fair independent redistricting process, one that puts the interests of voters, not politicians, first. We have been working with the County Legislature to discuss our proposal, and tomorrow, we are rallying at the County Legislature to show public support for redistricting reform."

Waving black and white checked racing flags, members of the Nassau County Redistricting Coalition drove caravan style along the jagged borders of the 16th district in Nassau County to demonstrate its irrational gerrymandered shape.

Background

Last year, the ten voting members of Nassau's Temporary Districting Advisory Commission split along party lines, submitting separate Democratic and Republican maps to the County Legislature. The Republican majority in the County Legislature then drew its own map in which only three of Nassau's 19 legislative districts are at all competitive, and approved the plan on a party line vote. In 2009 and 2011 under the old legislative lines, at least one incumbent lost each cycle. In 2013, no incumbents lost. In 2009 there were four competitive races, five in 2011, and only one in 2013. Similarly in 2009 and 2011 every seat except one was challenged. In 2013 there were five uncontested seats.

The non-partisan Nassau United Redistricting Coalition has produced a series of recommendations to make the future process functional and fair. Visit www.nassauunitedredistricting.org to find out more.