Podcast Series: Gerrymandering Oklahoma
In the next two years, the United States will do two very important things:
Conduct the decennial census (i.e. attempt to count everyone who lives in the country), and
Use the census data to re-draw all the state legislative and congressional districts in the entire country. (This process is called “redistricting.”)
While most folks are aware of the census, many have no idea about redistricting, and for good reason - it often happens behind closed doors, out of the public view. For this series, we sought to learn more about the redistricting process, including how it’s done, how it can be done for dubious purposes, and what options exist to help ensure that it’s done fairly and transparently.
Episode 1: GADDIEMANDERED!
This is the first episode of our "Gerrymandering Oklahoma" mini series. We're joined by OU political science professor Keith Gaddie to discuss the ins and outs of gerrymandering and the legislative redistricting process. (Hint: It's super important and most people have no idea.)
Episode 2: A Cause we all have in Common
Now that we know how legislative redistricting is done and how that process often leads to gerrymandering, we want to talk broadly about how states can prevent politicians from picking their own voters. For that, we speak with Dan Vicuña from Common Cause, to gain some insight on what's worked in other states and how their organization is involved.
Episode 3: Ratf**ked
We wanted to learn more about gerrymandering around the country, so we wanted to talk to a man who literally wrote the book on the topic, David Daley. He is the author of "Ratf**cked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count" and has probably looked at more maps and driven more legislative district boundaries than anyone else in the country.
Episode 4: Power to the People
By now we know what gerrymandering is, how and why it happens, and a few ways to prevent it. But how, exactly, do you get it to stop when the political system is rigged against you? You let the voters take the lead. For this, we spoke with Katie Fahey who started a people-first movement in Michigan in 2018 that led to the formation an independent redistricting commission and virtually eliminated gerrymandering from her state.
Episode 5: People, Not Politicians!
BIG NEWS! A rag-tag group of Oklahomans have banded together to form "People Not Politicians," a nonpartisan organization that has filed a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to create an independent redistricting commission and end gerrymandering in our state! We hear all about it from their Campaign Manager, whom you might already know...
Links referenced throughout the series
This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see (Washington Post)
Independent Redistricting: A Primer (our blog post from March 2019)
The Redistricting Game (Fun and harder than you’d think!)
The Gerrymandering Project (FiveThirtyEight)
The Atlas of Redistricting (FiveThirtyEight)
Brennan Center for Justice (Policy experts!)
Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count by David Daley (Amazon)
Podcast Ep. 81 | BudgetWatch 2019
Description
With less than a month 'til the end of session, we discuss rumors about the budget, the status of criminal justice reform, and Governor Stitt's use of the veto. We also curse more than usual. Earmuffs, kids. #SSGOTV.
Announcements
A Night to Remember! May 4 letsfixthisok.org/prom
Capitol Days: May 8th is Child Advocacy Day with OICA. Register at oica.org.
Episode Notes
Overview:
Most bills thru both House & Senate. Those with issues headed to conference committee.
Which means it’s time for...JCAB!
Budget Watch 2019:
OK House Dems release their budget proposal
How does this stack up against the Governor’s proposal from February?
Does it really matter? (Spoiler: No.)
Rumor has it that the House & Senate reportedly in agreement...which means the Governor is now the issue. (Dun dun DUUUUUN)
But also...where are we on Criminal Justice Reform?
Gov. Kevin Stitt rolls out new criminal justice reform package (Tulsa World)
New funding structure for DAs and courts
$10m to mental health
Occupational licensing
Expedited commutation for offenders convicted of drug possession crimes to other felonies that are now misdemeanors
Expedited process for expungements
HB1269: sentence modification by courts
Capitol Insider: Is Judicial Reform On Stitt's Agenda? (KGOU)
In other news...
Governor signs bill to make rib eye the ‘state steak of Oklahoma (KFOR)
Stitt vetoes bills on hunting, #oklaed, public workers
No guides on publicly managed lands
No mechanism to certify new police & fire unions
No “instructional expenditure”
No overtime for low-paid state employees
Open Primaries: A Primer
Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.
This is the second post in an ongoing series about the issues in our legislative agenda.
A primary election is an election in which a party decides who they will nominate to run for a particular office. Democrats have a Democratic primary to decide who the Democratic nominee will be, and Republicans have a Republican primary to decide who the Republican nominee will be.
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well…not so much. Many states are struggling to address concerns about their primary election system by answering questions such as:
Who gets to vote in these elections?
Should only Republicans vote for Republicans and Democrats for Democrats?
What about Independent voters or those that are unaffiliated?
Should voters be forced to simply forfeit their voice until the general election when the choices are considerably more limited?
Primaries are either open or closed, with variations within each of these models. States may use one type of primary for their state and local elections and a different type for their presidential elections. The basic types of primary elections are:
An open primary is a primary in which voters are not asked to declare a party affiliation on their voter registration form. At the polls, voters can choose which party’s ballot they receive regardless of party affiliation (or lack thereof).
A partially open primary asks voters to publicly declare which party’s ballot they would like on the day of voting which then registers the voter with that party. In most states with partially open primaries, voters may change their party affiliation on the day of voting.
A closed primary means that only those who have previously registered with a party may vote for that party’s nominees. In most states with closed primaries, you can’t change your party affiliation in the months surrounding the election.
In a partially closed primary, it is up to political parties to decide whether to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in their primaries while still excluding members of the opposing party.
A few states, like California, have adopted a “top two” primary system in which all candidates are listed together on the ballot and the top two, regardless of party affiliation move on to the general election.
Oklahoma currently uses a partially closed primary system. According to state law, party leaders are given the authority to allow unaffiliated voters or voters not registered with a party to vote in their nominating primaries. Parties make this decision every two years. The Oklahoma Democratic Party currently allows Independent voters to vote in the Democratic primaries. Voters must be registered with the Republican party to vote in the Republican primaries. Voters may choose to change their party affiliation but cannot do so between April 1 and August 31 in even-numbered years.
Advocates for an open-primary system argue that if everybody is given a voice at primary elections then it will increase the likelihood of more moderate candidates. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, nearly 16% of Oklahoman voters are registered as Independent, and that number has increased nearly 35% over the past decade. With an increasing pool of Independent voters and a general dissatisfaction with hyper-partisan practices, moderation seems to be just what we need. Primaries are paid for with our tax dollars, yet we allow the parties get to tell us who gets to vote. There are pros and cons to each system, but an open system works under the assumption that everyone deserves a vote, even in a primary.
Two bills related to primary elections were filed this year in the Oklahoma legislature: Bill HB1026 by Rep. Tadlock sought to make county sheriff elections nonpartisan in an attempt to remove some politics from law enforcement. Bill HB1153 by Rep. Grego sought to authorize counties to vote to make county elections nonpartisan, including county officers and district attorney. Both bills were assigned to the House Rules Committee, but neither were heard, and thus they are dead…for this year, at least.
Helpful links
Click here to view the Election Board’s “Online Voter Tool,” where you can confirm your registration, find your polling place, view sample ballots for upcoming elections, and track your absentee ballot. (Speaking of which, if you’re not already registered to vote absentee (aka “vote by mail"), you should, and you can do it online right here.)
Independent Redistricting: A Primer
Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.
This is our first post in what will be an ongoing series about the issues in our legislative agenda. We’re starting with Independent Redistricting because it’s the most pressing - the census is next year and then redistricting will occur the year after that.
Overview
The United States Constitution mandates that a census be taken every 10 years. States then must begin the process of redrawing both the congressional, state, and municipal districts. This process will begin again after the next census in 2020. District lines group different sets of voters in different ways. This process of redistricting is necessary to accurately reflect population changes and the community represented within the lines. District lines should attempt to keep together “communities of interest,” which can be things like people who hold similar beliefs, eat at the same places, and walk their dogs at the same park. The way district lines are drawn and how voters are grouped together powerfully impacts the representatives that are elected and what policies they will fight for.
Who is in charge of this important process?
Each state decides for themselves, often outlined in their state constitution, but most states put this responsibility solely in the hands of the legislature. Twenty two states use a separate commission to help with the process or to take over the process entirely. Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington have commissions that take over the redistricting process entirely using an independent commission. These commissions are made up of individuals who are not themselves a part of the state legislature. For these states, the legislature may have a part in choosing the members of the commission but won’t have a hand in drawing the lines themselves.
Why do some states feel the need to remove legislature from the process, either partially or completely?
When the legislature is in charge of redrawing the districts in which they run for office, it leaves the opportunity to manipulate the lines to keep incumbents in power or to dilute the voice of their opposition. When one party controls the legislature, that party then has the ability to serve their own interests by redrawing the lines in their favor. Representatives can then, essentially, choose their own voters. This is called partisan gerrymandering. This can be done by drawing lines to exclude potential opposition or by packing multiple voters of a party into one district or diluting the voters across multiple districts.
What does this mean for Oklahoma?
Oklahoma law allows the party in power to draw the district lines. With the coming 2020 census, we have to ask ourselves if this is our best option? Is there a better alternative to draw state lines to best represent the people?
Although there are criticisms for every redistricting process, there are many advocates for the independent commission. An independent commission is currently used by six states with multiple other states moving in that direction. If created well, an independent commission creates a third party that can mitigate the issues that come with the ability of incumbent legislators to draw lines to keep themselves in power. Independent commissions may be the best way to reduce the drawing of lines motivated by self-interest.
The above images are examples of four Oklahoma legislative districts - two House, two Senate, and one of each from each party - that, at least at a glance, appear to be gerrymandered. We’re not saying they necessarily are, but they do serve as a good example of why we need to pay attention to redistricting and push for an independent commission to handle it. The screenshots were taken from the OAEC Digital Legislative Guide app - a free & handy resource for anyone interested in Oklahoma politics.
Redistricting is complicated. There’s no doubt about it. The redrawing of district lines is a long, tedious process that is tough for whomever is in charge, but it’s also necessary. Our democracy relies on our voices being heard and heard equally. But it’s easy to understand that a change is necessary. Leaving the redistricting process in the hands of the very people who stand to directly benefit just doesn’t make sense. Independent commissions provide a realistic alternative that allows for transparency, accountability, and removes heavy and direct partisan involvement.
The Brennan Center for Justice provides a great resource about redistricting that attempts to make all the complicated details manageable.
If you want to try your own hand at the tough job of drawing district line, you can play this online Redistricting Game.