Every Woman Counts

Women Creating Change was proud to advocate for a fair and accurate census count and is committed to the push for a transparent and equitable redistricting process.

This rate exceeded the U.S. Census Bureau’s pre-COVID estimate of 58%, thanks to the hard work of a broad coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, public advocates, and government initiatives like NYC Census 2020. 

What is Redistricting and Why Does It Matter?

After the Census, New York state mapping commissions draw new boundaries for Congressional and state legislative districts. Political parties have taken advantage of this process to choose voters who are most likely to give them an advantage on Election Day. 

Gerrymandering works by “packing” communities of interest (COIs) into one district to give one party an unfair advantage, or completely splintering them across multiple districts. This leads to: 

  • Noncompetitive elections
  • Limited influence of communities of interest
  • Reelection of politicians, who may not reflect their districts’ changing demographics and interests. 

These practices challenge the integrity of hard-fought voting rights for women and Black, Indigenous, and Brown communities.

What to Know About Redistricting in New York:

The latest census estimates predict that New York may lose at least one congressional seat and maybe as many as two if the census undercounts New York’s population. Community input will be key to New York’s redistricting process. 

This cycle will see the first test of an independent redistricting commission to draw congressional and state maps, as approved by New York voters in 2014.

What Can You Do?

1. Submit public testimony to map drawers about your community.

State law requires the state redistricting commission to conduct public hearings on proposed plans, including in each of the five boroughs of New York City. Key deadlines to know:

  • September 15, 2021: Commission must make draft plans and data publicly available before the first public hearings. 
  • January 1, 2022: Commission must submit final redistricting plans for approval. 
  • February 28, 2022: If the plan is rejected by the state legislature, Commission must submit an additional plan. 

How can you prepare yourself and your community to submit public testimony?

Learn more about the Public Mapping Project (New York Law School’s Census and Redistricting Institute) to educate others about relevant issues. 

2. Encourage state legislators to pass S. 8833 to constitutionalize recent changes to redistricting in New York that relates to the inclusion of incarcerated individuals in the census for redistricting and the number of state senators and the administration of the independent redistricting commission for deciding district lines.  

3. Support H.R. 1 For the People Act, which will ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act for communities of color and fair redistricting criteria, as well as the institution of independent redistricting commissions like New York’s nationwide. 

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