Made possible with support from The Joyce Foundation.

Midwest Democracy Network partners are working
for accountable, transparent redistricting in
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

The 2010 Census kicked off the next redistricting
season, which determines how electoral district
lines are drawn and, ultimately, who gets to
represent the public in state capitols and Congress.
Learn more about this issue in the Midwest here!

 
 *GET MATERIALS FROM FORUM EVENTS*
        Illinois  «  Ohio  «  Wisconsin

Thanks to the Brennan
Center, check out the
current redistricting
process in:

       >Illinois       
       >Michigan
       >Minnesota
       >Ohio
       >Wisconsin

 Redistricting
 Principles  
  >Recently, a
  diverse set of 
  public interest 
  groups agreed on 
  key  redistricting
  principles.

 Find out more!

  As we await the results of the
  2010 Census count, we look
  forward to the next redistricting
  season — which will ulimately
  determine who gets to
  represent the public in state
  capitols and Congress.

  Many Midwest Democracy
  Network partner organizations
  are working to reform the way
  districts are drawn in their
  states, starting with helping to
  ensure a complete and accurate
  count of their state populations
  in the 2010 Census.

  What does the census have to
  do with redistricting?

  We rely on census results to
  allocate the number of
  representatives each state can
  elect to the U.S. House of
  Representatives and determine
  the number of electors each state
  will have in the Electoral College.

  These important numbers also
  provide the raw material for
  drawing district boundaries for 
  our congressional, state, and
  local legislative elections. In
  order to have a properly
  functioning, accountable
  government, we must have a
  solid census foundation on
  which to build.    

  Watch the Take 10 video!

   Learn the basics and educate
   others with these one-sheet
   briefings:

  >Why Redistricting Matters
  >Redistricting Timeline
  >Who Draws the Lines
  >Lines - Chart
  >Rules for Drawing the Lines
  >Rules Chart
  >Minority Representation
  >Communities of Interest
  >How to Influence the Process
  >How to Draw the Lines
  >What to Look For
  >Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover
  >About the Brennan Center

   
   Join the Brennan Center's
   Justin Levitt for his lively
   "Redistricting 101"
   presentation:

   >Open the Power Point to follow
   along with the video!

    
    Click here for more
    "Redistricting 101"  
    video clips.

    Click here for Q&A
    video clips.

 

    Get more Brennan
    Center for Justice
    resources:

    >Redistricting webpage

    >A Citizen's Guide to
    Redistricting

 
   Contact: Brennan Center for Justice

  This report investigates the
  potential effects of four criteria
  on the congressional and state
  legislative districts that many be
  produced in the five Midwestern
  states of Illinois, Michigan,
  Minnesota, Ohio and
  Wisconsin.

  Congressional and state
  legislative plans are drawn
  in accordance to four criteria,
  which are often proposed as
  "neutral" criteria by reformers.
  Districts are drawn to:

  >Look like squares arrayed on a
  regular grid.

  >Be as compact as possible.

  >Respect county boundaries.

  >Respect census place
  boundaries.

  This exercise demonstrates that
  it is practically difficult to
  achieve what may seem ideally
  easy -- such as drawing lines to
  look like squares.

  Join George Mason's
  Michael McDonald for his
  informative "Midwest
  Mapping Project"
  presentation:

  >Download the Power Point to
  follow along with the video!
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