ABOUT US

Fair Districts New Jersey is a coalition dedicated to ensuring that New Jersey's voting districts are drawn in a way that is transparent, representative, community-driven and fair. The coalition is led by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.

Fair Districts calls for more meaningful public input into the process, greater transparency, and an independent redistricting commission. We are part of a national movement to put power where it belongs - into the hands of New Jersey voters.

Grassroots redistricting reform movements are making strides across the country, including in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. We need people like you to make redistricting reform a reality in New Jersey.

Join us if you believe that the outcome of elections should not be decided before voters even cast a ballot. Join us if you believe that voters should choose their politicians, and not the other way around. Together, we can draw fairer maps, encourage competition, increase voter turnout, and make sure all in New Jersey are equally and fairly represented!
‍

Fair Districts must:

Adhere to all Constitution and Voting Rights Act requirements.
Have substantially equal population and geographic contiguity.
Protect New Jersey's communities of color by reinforcing the principles of the Voting Rights Act.
Preserve New Jersey's communities of interest within the same district.
Minimize the division of county and municipal boundaries.
Reject incumbent protection and not favor or discriminate against candidates or parties.

Fair Districts New Jersey calls for:

A more independent, representative redistricting commission that minimizes partisanship, reduces the level of political influence over the redistricting process and includes the voices of ordinary citizens with no vested interest in a map's final outcome.
Transparency and accountability measures that open up the redistricting process to the public; make data, resources, and drafts of maps publicly available; and require redistricting reports that justify all map-making decisions.
Cooperation among redistricting commissioners so a final map is approved with more than a simple majority vote.
A set of clear line-drawing rules ranked in order of priority to guide redistricting commissioners and provide checks against attempts to manipulate boundary lines for political gain.
A racial equity provision that reinforces the principles of the Voting Rights Act to protect the voting rights and voting strength of New Jersey’s communities of color.
Protections for communities of interest within the redistricting process, which would require ample public hearings and the solicitation of public input across every part of the state.
Expansion of the timeline for legislative map creation, allowing for more public input before and after a final draft of a map is presented.

Read more about our full set of reform recommendations in our report, "Redistricting Reform for a Fairer New Jersey."

ABOUT US

A PROJECT BYLEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW JERSEY

A PROJECT BY
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW JERSEY