Conference
Connecting Colorado for Fair Redistricting: A Public Symposium and Call to Action
This event, sponsored by Colorado College, took place virtually on Saturday, September 19, 2020. Click on the link above for a list of topics and participants. A video of the entire day's proceedings is available on Youtube.
CANCELLED: Thanks to everyone who had agreed to share their expertise with the community. The Coronavirus has disrupted this gathering, necessitating the cancelling of the 2020 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting in Denver. Many geographers who were planning to present are now unable to attend. Colorado College is prohibiting gatherings of more than thirty people on campus. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has cancelled all on-campus activities until further notice. Organizers are looking at options for future gatherings in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. While this topic is important to the health of our democratic republic, the health of community members is paramount at this time. Questions? Email Rebecca Theobald at rtheobal@uccs.edu.
Best Practices in Redistricting
Discuss Apportionment and Redistricting in Colorado Springs in April 2020
With the recent Supreme Court decision about partisan gerrymandering devolving the issue to the states as well as continuing conversations about the health of the democratic process in the United States, we encourage active discussions about redistricting plans at all scales. Whether you have been serving as an expert witness, drawing electoral boundary lines, or living in a gerrymandered district, join this conference to explore what actions we might take as researchers, academics, and community members to identify the best practices for ensuring proper geographic representation, recognizing the need to address equal population, contiguity, compactness, communities of interest, political boundaries, incumbent protection, competitiveness, party advantage, and the Voting Rights Act.
Best Practices in Redistricting: Case Studies from Colorado
The first day, Friday, April 3, will be devoted to using Colorado as a lens for understanding development within a state experiencing demographic growth and changes, examining practical challenges to a fair representation process. It is expected that Colorado will gain one seat in the House of Representatives, necessitating multiple changes in Congressional District boundaries. The state also passed constitutional amendments creating an independent commission for state and congressional redistricting. As with the United States as a whole, Colorado has urban centers and rural areas, is increasingly ethnically diverse, and is experiencing the aging of its population. There will be time to hear from students, community members, experts, public servants, and researchers as well as opportunities for conversation among all participants.
Best Practices in Redistricting: The Role of Geography
The subsequent two days, Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, will focus on approaches to bridging theory and practice in Colorado and beyond. We will not schedule concurrent sessions as we think all need to hear the same information. We seek presentations on the history of gerrymandering, the role of geospatial technology and mathematical analysis, classroom and community engagement, grassroots efforts (e.g. Voters Not Politicians in Michigan, Draw the Lines PA), serving as expert witnesses, approaches to redistricting in international contexts, and redistricting at scales beyond that of the federal congressional district (e.g. state senate and house districts, county and city governing bodies, school districts, and planning boards). This conference is designed to inform political parties, bipartisan commissions, media, and the general public about the geographic and demographic knowledge, political analysis, and computer mapping skills that are necessary for constructing impartial legislative districts.