On April 7, Sen. Clark filed the Redistricting Criteria for 2021 bill, SB 581. Sen. Clark serves as chair of the Redistricting and Elections Working Group within the Senate Democratic Caucus and as a member of the NC Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee. SB 581 ensures the constitutional integrity of North Carolina’s congressional and legislative election districts for the next decade, unlike the previous decade wherein maps for both congressional and legislative elections were deemed to contain racial gerrymanders, partisan gerrymanders, or both by federal or state courts.
SB 581 was developed in consultation with mathematicians, computer scientists, and legal experts with extensive experience in various aspects of redistricting and a commitment to the creation of fair congressional and legislative maps during the upcoming decennial redistricting process. Eliminating the extreme racial and partisan gerrymandering that was present in our maps during the last decade begins with an open and transparent process in which NC voters are equal participants from beginning to end. Doing so will ultimately provide voters the ability to elect representatives who are responsive to their concerns. Additionally, doing so will prevent historically disadvantaged groups from being marginalized through the erosion of their voting strength. Upon its passage, SB 581 will accomplish several things:
- The creation of congressional and legislative districts with an equal number of residents, to the greatest extent possible.
- Congressional and legislative districts that are not specifically designed to provide an unfair advantage to one party over another.
- Congressional and legislative districts that are not specifically designed to provide an unfair advantage to one candidate over another.
The NC General Assembly is poised to redraw congressional and legislative districts for the next decade. To protect the tradition of representative democracy and the integrity of our elections, as well as preserve voter trust in the electoral process, the NCGA must develop the maps through an equitable and transparent exercise. The passage of SB 581 is a major step toward accomplishing this goal.
