Sadiq and Dana Daniels cross the street after voting at the Surprise Court House polling location on Nov. 3, 2020, in Surprise, Ariz. /Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Commentary by James E. Garcia | Arizona Mirror
“Redistricting” may be one of the most boring words in the English language. Ask most people what it is and their eyes will likely glaze over.
But the outcome of the so-called redistricting process well underway across the nation promises to have a profound effect on the lives of most Americans for at least the next 10 years.
A quick tutorial: redistricting is the once-a-decade process for redrawing existing maps for the districts where voters cast their ballots to pick our representatives in Congress or our respective state legislature. The impetus for the process is the U.S. Census, which tallies our population and tracks our country’s ever-evolving demographics.
I know, that still sounds kind of boring.
Think of it this way, redistricting could well lead to the election of people who get to decide, among many other things:
Whether women get to exercise their right to an abortion.
How much your state and federal taxes rise or fall.
What your kids learn in school and how much their teachers get paid.
Who manages our response to the deadly pandemic.
