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Sen. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump both declared during the 2016 election that the system is rigged. But their ideas of what constitutes rigging are different. We agree with Bernie's concerns about the system, so we are paying attention to election integrity (fraudulent electronic vote counting), gerrymandering, voter suppression, attacks on the Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court decisions that reduce or eliminate limits on campaign contributions/expenditures, "dark money" and the influence of the electoral college.
Election Reform Home Page | Electoral College and the National Popular Vote | Election Integrity | Gerrymandering
Limiting campaign contributions/expenditures | Right to Vote and the Voting Rights Act | Voter Suppression
28th Constitutional Amendment - money not speech/corporations not people
Limiting campaign contributions/expenditures | Right to Vote and the Voting Rights Act | Voter Suppression
28th Constitutional Amendment - money not speech/corporations not people
Example above is from Slate magazine article: Can a Bunch of Mathematicians Make Government More Representative?
Gerrymandering is the act of drawing political boundaries so as to ensure that candidates from a particular political party cannot be successfully defeated for election. Gerrymandering results in very oddly shaped districts and a political advantage of one political party, interest group or sometimes a race or ethnic group. .
Gerrymandering happens both in the drawing of Congressional boundaries and state legislative district boundaries.
Where ever it happens, it results in people with particular political leanings feeling that they have been excluded from the political process, of feeling that they have been disenfranchised.
RESULTS of GERRYMANDERING
Gerrymandering results in undemocratic representation, quite frequently with a political party gaining a disproportion number of legislative seats relative to the strength of the party in the state or political districts. For instance, one party getting 46% of the total vote but gaining 70% of the elected offices. This difference is known as the efficiency gap.
Gerrymandering can also result in more expensive campaigns as candidates have greater distances to travel or campaign in order to have an effective campaign.
Gerrymandering is often used to ensure that incumbents are reelected.
Gerrymandering happens both in the drawing of Congressional boundaries and state legislative district boundaries.
Where ever it happens, it results in people with particular political leanings feeling that they have been excluded from the political process, of feeling that they have been disenfranchised.
- PACKING and CRACKING
RESULTS of GERRYMANDERING
Gerrymandering results in undemocratic representation, quite frequently with a political party gaining a disproportion number of legislative seats relative to the strength of the party in the state or political districts. For instance, one party getting 46% of the total vote but gaining 70% of the elected offices. This difference is known as the efficiency gap.
Gerrymandering can also result in more expensive campaigns as candidates have greater distances to travel or campaign in order to have an effective campaign.
Gerrymandering is often used to ensure that incumbents are reelected.
Organizations working on gerrymander reform
These organizations have programs working to end gerrymandering
Brenner Center for Justice
Common Cause
Fair Vote
Brenner Center for Justice
Common Cause
Fair Vote
