Questions - General Categories
A. General Redistricting Questions
B. The History of Redistricting in California and Redistricting in Other States
C. Timeline/Accountability/Financing
D. Judges
E. Process and Criteria
F. Likely Results / Impacts of Redistricting if Proposition 77 passes
1. What is redistricting?
2. What is gerrymandering?
3. Who benefits from and who is harmed by gerrymandering, and why?
4. How often are states, particularly California, redistricted?
5. What are some examples of 'poorly' drawn or 'unfair' districts?
6. What is the source of the demographic data used to redistrict?
7. What is the source of the political data used to redistrict?
8. What is the difference between voting age populations and total populations?
9. How are voting age population data used in redistricting?
10. How are total population data used in redistricting?
11. What is the Federal Voting Rights Act (VRA)?
12. How does the Voting Rights Act impact redistricting?
13. How does Proposition 77 impact the Voting Rights Act?
2. What is gerrymandering?
3. Who benefits from and who is harmed by gerrymandering, and why?
4. How often are states, particularly California, redistricted?
5. What are some examples of 'poorly' drawn or 'unfair' districts?
6. What is the source of the demographic data used to redistrict?
7. What is the source of the political data used to redistrict?
8. What is the difference between voting age populations and total populations?
9. How are voting age population data used in redistricting?
10. How are total population data used in redistricting?
11. What is the Federal Voting Rights Act (VRA)?
12. How does the Voting Rights Act impact redistricting?
13. How does Proposition 77 impact the Voting Rights Act?
B. The History of Redistricting in California and Redistricting in Other States
1. Have redistricting reform efforts been on the ballot before in California?
2. What other states are considering redistricting reform?
3. Why is this reform an Initiative?
4. What is the basis of the current legal challenge to Proposition 77?
5. What is the status of the current legal challenge to Proposition 77?
6. What, if anything, makes Proposition 77 different from past redistricting reform proposals?
7. Are there other current redistricting reform proposals that could affect California?
8. How is redistricting accomplished in other states? How many use commissions?
2. What other states are considering redistricting reform?
3. Why is this reform an Initiative?
4. What is the basis of the current legal challenge to Proposition 77?
5. What is the status of the current legal challenge to Proposition 77?
6. What, if anything, makes Proposition 77 different from past redistricting reform proposals?
7. Are there other current redistricting reform proposals that could affect California?
8. How is redistricting accomplished in other states? How many use commissions?
C. Timeline/Accountability/Financing
1. What happens if voters reject redistricting plans?
2. Do voters vote to approve redistricting plans anywhere else?
3. Can California voters currently vote on redistricting plans?
4. What would be potential financial costs of redistricting if Proposition 77 passes?
2. Do voters vote to approve redistricting plans anywhere else?
3. Can California voters currently vote on redistricting plans?
4. What would be potential financial costs of redistricting if Proposition 77 passes?
D. Judges
1. How are the judges selected?
2. What will be the party registration of the judges on the panel?
3. What prevents the judges from being biased in favor of one political party?
4. To whom are the judges accountable?
5. Are three judges too few to be making this decision?
6. How many people are involved in the current redistricting process?
7. What are the demographics of the pool of retired judges?
8. How can the diversity of California be adequately represented by a panel of only three retired judges?
2. What will be the party registration of the judges on the panel?
3. What prevents the judges from being biased in favor of one political party?
4. To whom are the judges accountable?
5. Are three judges too few to be making this decision?
6. How many people are involved in the current redistricting process?
7. What are the demographics of the pool of retired judges?
8. How can the diversity of California be adequately represented by a panel of only three retired judges?
E. Process and Criteria
1. Why redistrict in the middle of the decade? Why not wait until next census?
2. What rules currently govern the drawing of districts?
3. Who benefits under California's current system for drawing districts?
4. Who is harmed by California's current redistricting process?
5. What would be the criteria by which Prop 77 draw districts?
6. Why not just implement the Iowa redistricting system in California?
7. What is a compact district?
8. Why do reformers advocate compact districts?
2. What rules currently govern the drawing of districts?
3. Who benefits under California's current system for drawing districts?
4. Who is harmed by California's current redistricting process?
5. What would be the criteria by which Prop 77 draw districts?
6. Why not just implement the Iowa redistricting system in California?
7. What is a compact district?
8. Why do reformers advocate compact districts?
F. Likely Results / Impacts of Redistricting if Proposition 77 passes
1. How would the passage of Proposition 77 affect the people who have declared their candidacy for the 2006 elections?
2. Will minority voters lose influence if Proposition 77 is adopted?
3. Will Latinos benefit from Proposition 77?
4. Will Asian Americans benefit from Proposition 77?
5. Will African Americans benefit from Prop 77?
6. How safe were incumbents the last round of election?
7. Will there be more competitive districts if Proposition 77 passes?
8. What is a competitive district?
9. Why do reformers want competitive districts?
10. How will more competitive districts impact California power relative to other states?
2. Will minority voters lose influence if Proposition 77 is adopted?
3. Will Latinos benefit from Proposition 77?
4. Will Asian Americans benefit from Proposition 77?
5. Will African Americans benefit from Prop 77?
6. How safe were incumbents the last round of election?
7. Will there be more competitive districts if Proposition 77 passes?
8. What is a competitive district?
9. Why do reformers want competitive districts?
10. How will more competitive districts impact California power relative to other states?