Virginia Tech professor of political science and assistant dean Doug Eckel would
like to see the new census data upon which redistricting is based be made available to the
public on the Internet before any decisions are made. This data is due to arrive from the
census in March 2001. "Groups could use this data (called PL 94-171 data) to create
their own redistricting proposals or comment on the possibilities," Eckel says.
"The availability of this information makes the whole process of redistricting more
transparent for citizens." For example, a
voting district can be redrawn in a way that maximizes the Republican vote, the Democrat
vote, or the voting power of a particular ethnic group. "Elected officials have a
fair amount of leeway to make partisan decisions in redistricting, as long as the
representation of different ethnic groups is reasonably proportional. The racial aspect of
redistricting is subject to review under Sections 2 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act."
Eckel says.
He believes that this information can be combined with GIS
(geographic information systems) and used interactively with ARC View and its extensions
on the Web. Overlays could show current boundaries and those of subunits which might be
reconfigured.
"I don’t think this would be too difficult,"
Eckel says. "With someone with GIS experience -- perhaps an Anderson & Associates
consultant -- working on it full time, it seems like you could have the information in
usable form in a matter of weeks."
Eckel is preparing a class project that will have teams of
Virginia Tech undergraduates making plans to redistrict precincts in the City of Chicago
in ways that optimize the voting power of three different ethnic groups. "This
process will allow them to see first-hand the impact of the redistricting process,"
he says.
He presented his ideas on redistricting at the Virginia GIS
Conference in Richmond in October.
- Reprinted from the February 2001 Ampersand.
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