Hella Bus Blog
This is What Happened
As Devin noted earlier this month, our beloved Washington State legislature recently redrew the lines on our statewide electoral districts changing the game for many an aspiring elected official. Want to know why the lines look the way they do? Want to meet the folks who helped ensure Washington has its first majority/minority district? Want to learn about the WA Voting Rights Act? Come learn what it all means in the presence of some phenomenal organizers and thought leaders. Check it:
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Community Reportback: Redistricting & WA Voting Rights Act!
Monday, January 30
6pm-8pm
School of Law Annex, Seattle University
1215 E. Columbia St., Seattle, WA
View Map · Get Directions
RSVP now to info@fairrepresentationwa.org or via Facebook! This is a free community event.
And the Earth Shook
As of January 1st, 2012, Maps of Washington State will never look the same. In a proposal approved Sunday, the Washington State Redistricting Coalition decided how Washingtonian's will be represented for at least the next ten years.
OF NOTE:
Washington gained a Congressional District! Because of booming population growth, we're going from 9 Districts to 10. That's one more voice from Washington speaking up in the House of Representatives.
Our newest district, (WA-10 Represent), comprises the area around Olympia, which is probably good news for those on the Democratic side of the aisle.
The Ninth District becomes what has awkwardly been coined "majority minority", in that 50.32% of the district's population are People of Color.
On the statewide level, the commission also created a majority Latino 15th district encompassing South Central Washington. It'll be interesting to see who this district sends to Olympia to represent them. Erica Barnett at Publicola notes that although the district is made up of a majority of Latino residents, the percentage of the voting population will be less than 50% because the count includes undocumented immigrants and minors.
What does this mean for those of the political party persuasion? Looks like it's mixed. The GOP is reportedly celebrating a more conservative first district, while shaking in their boots about the aforementioned "majority minority" district.
You can see the differences in the below two maps. Pictures say a thousand words, so I'll shut up.
Washington State's New Look: So Fresh and So Clean
A District Map So Old it Pre-dates Color
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