In November of 2023, national redistricting experts reported that PA’s voting district maps are far better than they were in the previous decade. When Fair Districts PA began in 2016, Pennsylvania’s congressional districts were considered among the most gerrymandered in the nation. PA’s state house and senate districts, in some elections, were the most skewed in the country.
In this latest report PA received a C+ for maps and process. Normally that’s not something we would celebrate, but PA is now in the middle of the pack, not among the most gerrymandered outliers. That’s a huge accomplishment. Thank you to all of you who helped advocate for a fair process and for better maps than in decades past. Check our web update for more information.
We’re also thankful for the work of so many Fair Districts PA volunteers who spent time on Election Day talking to voters about the continuing need for redistricting reform.Together you collected over 4500 signatures from all corners of PA. While our current maps are better, there are no guarantees for a public process or nonpartisan future maps unless PA enacts a constitutional amendment creating an independent citizens redistricting commission. We’re now close to a total of 110,000 petition signatures in support of such a commission, a good starting place for the continuing push for reform. Check our Polling Place Outreach update for photos, stories and more about the election day effort.
Personally, I’m thankful this week for the many amazing, creative, committed Fair Districts PA volunteers who organize outreach, write and post updates, lead local groups, and together envision a future in which PA communities are heard well in Harrisburg. We’re not there yet, but we see glimmers of hope. I’m thankful that in a deeply divided season, FDPA volunteers continue to bridge regional, cultural, and political divides to work for a political system in which every vote counts and every voice is heard. Thank you all for modeling so faithfully our vision of Not Red, Not Blue, Just Fair!
Carol Kuniholm
Fair Districts PA Chair