We've been hearing from a lot of people who are excited about the redistricting reform that has passed in Virginia and who are glad our work on this issue is wrapping up. Well, I'm reaching out today to tell you that we are not done yet!
Amendment 1 and the accompanying legislation have transformed Virginia's redistricting process. Most importantly, the creation of the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the new laws governing transparency and public input have created space for Virginians to participate to an unprecedented degree.
The big job ahead of OneVirginia2021 and many other groups working for fair and transparent redistricting is to fill that space. The Commission, thanks to legislation passed in 2020, is required to consider Communities of Interest when drawing maps. This is a huge opportunity. We need to educate and empower as many communities as possible to effectively advocate for themselves in a way that is usable to the Commission.
So what can you do?
Check out our toolkit: Whether you want to write a Letter to the Editor, testify at a public hearing, share educational opportunities with your networks, or simply brush up on Redistricting 101, we have tools that can help you.
Become a partner organization: If you're part of a group (anything from a civic organization to a political party to a book club) and you would like to receive notice of educational opportunities, resources, and updates, you can sign up here.
(Note: this list will not be made public and signing up to receive alerts does not signify endorsement of any OneVirginia2021 statements or strategies.)
Request a speaker: If you are a member of a group (see definition above!) who would like to hear more about what is going on with redistricting in Virginia, you can email us to request a speaker to (virtually) address your group.
Donate: I'd love to tell you we're done fundraising, but our work isn't over and the Census delay means we have extra months of work ahead. All donations to the OneVirginia2021 Foundation and our education efforts are tax deductible.
Virginia would not be poised for this historically transparent and citizen-led redistricting if not for the support and engagement of people like you. We're so grateful and hope you'll stick with us.