AAC
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Redistricting in Arkansas
errymandering — what does this word really mean and where did it come from? You hear both political parties using this word at the beginning of each decade. Gerrymandering means to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constitu- ency to create a result to favor one party or class. Early in the 19th century, Gov. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts drew a new voting district that favored his party. Te district was shaped like a salamander. Tis district map was published in the Boston Weekly Messenger with the title Te Gerry-Man- der. Hence the word Gerrymandering. Every 10 years at the turn of the decade officials are required
G
to redistrict all district lines for elected officials to provide equal representation for every citizen. Tese officials include all four congressional seats, 35 state senate seats, 100 seats in the state House of Representa- tives, and countless justice of the peace and city council districts. Amendment 55,
Section 2 of the Arkan- sas Constitution states the county’s election commission “shall, af- ter each decennial cen- sus, divide the county into convenient and single member districts so the Quorum Court shall be based upon
A
Article 8, Section 1 of the Arkan- sas Constitution created “Te Board of Apportionment,” consisting of the Governor (who shall be Chair- man), the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. Tis board’s duty is to draw 100 state house districts and 35 senate districts following each federal census. Arkansas Code § 7-2-101 through § 7-2-105 is where you will find the composition of all four congressional districts. Tese districts are amended by the general assembly after each federal census, as well. Arkansas is known as a mixed method state, using the
Josh Curtis
Governmental Affairs Director
rkansas is known as a mixed method state, using the Board of Apportionment to draw the legisla-
tive lines and the state legislature to draw the congressio- nal lines. Tere are three other mixed states — Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
the inhabitants of the county with each member representing, as nearly as practicable, an equal number thereof.” Arkansas Code § 7-4-102 outlines that the membership of the county board of election commissioners shall consist of two members elected by the county committee of the majority party; and one member elected by the county committee of the minority party. According to Arkansas Code § 7-1-101 (18), “major- ity party” means “that political party in the State of Arkansas whose candidates were elected to a majority of the constitu- tional offices of this state in the last preceding general elec- tion.” Tere are seven constitutional offices in Arkansas, so if the Republicans hold only three of those offices, as they did after the 2010 general election, then the Democrats are the majority party. Te Republicans now, of course, hold all seven of the state’s constitutional offices. Terefore each county elec- tion commission has two Republicans and one Democrat that draws new district lines for their counties.
14
Board of Apportionment to draw the legislative lines and the state legislature to draw the congressional lines. Tere are three other mixed states — Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Seven states have a board like that of Arkansas, but drawing both congressio- nal and legislative lines. Tirty-six states have the state legislature drawing all the lines. Only four states have an Indepen- dent Commission as the redistricting authority.
Tese states are California, Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan. Tis article was supposed to be all about ballot Issue 4, “Te Arkansas Citizens’ Redistricting Commission Amend- ment.” Te Arkansas Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in late August that Issue 4 and Issue 5 did not qualify for the ballot because sponsors failed to certify that paid canvassers passed required background checks. Sponsors using the word “acquired” when submitting information about canvasser background checks to the state led to tens of thousands of voter signatures being tossed and Issue 4 and Issue 5 being struck from the ballot. Tis issue will come back up in some sort of fashion in the future, so I will go ahead and let you see what both sides said about this proposed constitutional amendment. Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Doyle Webb said, “Tis proposal is another out-of-state billionaire-funded at-
See “Redistricting” on Page 46 >>> COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2020
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
