Blackmon reminds Denny that the Voting Rights Act protects minority voters not just from intentional acts, but also from unintentional acts.
Blackmon says that Denny's plan substantially reduces the number of districts in which minority communities will have a substantial say in elections. This is done through packing the districts, which you can read about here.
Blackmon says that his concern going into redistricting, which he shared with Denny, was that the number of districts in which minorities made up about 35% of the voting age population would decrease, making minorities less influential. Denny says he's never heard of the 35% number, and that he relied on Obama vote numbers.
Denny says that packing is "how long is a piece of string" and that he's looking at this overall when asked by Blackmon what packing is.
Blackmon asks if Denny could draw a map that would unpack the majority minority districts and increase minority participation. Denny says "you could do anything."
No comments:
Post a Comment