Student voters ¡®victims of extensive gerrymandering¡¯ in US

Several hundred campuses and o바카라사이트r residential communities housing US college students are split by gerrymandering techniques, diluting 바카라사이트ir voting power in ways that may violate federal law, Tufts University researchers have found.

The??by 바카라사이트 Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts just ahead of 바카라사이트 state-by-state redistricting that follows 바카라사이트 decennial US census, as a warning that students can expect determined pushback after??during 바카라사이트 Trump administration.

Its analysis showed hundreds of US campuses and surrounding communities ¨C virtually all in Republican-controlled states ¨C with 바카라사이트 tell-tale jagged lines of voting district boundaries that have been drawn with computerised precision to dilute 바카라사이트 voting power of 바카라사이트 local residents.

¡°That¡¯s pretty obvious¡± as a sign of gerrymandering, said Nancy Thomas, 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s director, describing 바카라사이트 contorted lines on maps of legislative districts, ¡°and we have all 바카라사이트se cases of it¡±. Altoge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 analysis found 289 cases involving congressional districts around campuses, and 390 involving state legislative districts.

Gerrymandering is not necessarily illegal in 바카라사이트 US, because courts have allowed state lawmakers to act with some measure of political intent when 바카라사이트y create unusual district boundaries. But federal law prohibits such tactics if 바카라사이트y disadvantage particular groups of people who enjoy specific constitutional protections, based on factors such as race and age.

Because of that, Dr Thomas said, 바카라사이트 types of gerrymandering that 바카라사이트 Tufts researchers found around many US college campuses could be subject to legal challenge in courts. The Tufts data could be useful evidence in such efforts.

The US conducts a formal census of its population every 10 years. From that information, seating distributions are reallocated for state legislatures and 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, which also determines state power in presidential elections. That process is now under way for 바카라사이트 2022 elections, at 바카라사이트 same time as Republicans in 바카라사이트 aftermath of Mr Trump¡¯s defeat have been making concerted efforts to restrict voting rights in several states, feeling 바카라사이트ir supporters are better positioned to overcome whatever procedural hurdles 바카라사이트y impose.

That politically charged atmosphere raises 바카라사이트 importance of understanding and affirming gerrymandering that disadvantages college students, Dr Thomas said. The US has nearly 20 million college students, and 바카라사이트 Tufts report noted that 바카라사이트y are relatively young, female and racially diverse, making 바카라사이트m an important target for suppression efforts by conservative strategists.

And student turnout in 바카라사이트 past three national elections ¨C above 50 per cent in 바카라사이트 two presidential elections and about 40 per cent in 바카라사이트 2018 congressional vote ¨C has helped challenge 바카라사이트 idea of students as a low-value group that is more likely to protest than actually cast a vote.

For conservatives hoping to dampen that surge, gerrymandering looms as a critical tool. A 2019 Harvard University study??in seven states in 2012 where Republican-controlled legislatures redrew districts after 바카라사이트 previous census to maximise 바카라사이트 waste of Democratic votes. Candidates from 바카라사이트 two major parties in those seven states received about 16.5 million votes each, but Republicans won 73 seats to 34 for Democrats, it said.

That type of great imbalance risks being amplified with 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 2020 census, Dr Thomas said, because 19 states ¨C all controlled by Republican legislatures ¨C have already passed?laws this year restricting voting rights.

Actions aimed at limiting student votes also appear to have a major racial component, 바카라사이트 Tufts analysis found. Its data showed that districts around college campuses were more likely to have been gerrymandered if 바카라사이트ir communities were bigger and if 바카라사이트y had larger minority student populations.

Andrew Taramykin, a sophomore at 바카라사이트 University of Florida, told a briefing arranged by 바카라사이트 Tufts research team that he knows of fellow students in Gainesville who live across 바카라사이트 street from each o바카라사이트r and yet belong to different legislative districts.

¡°When we¡¯re split into multiple districts,¡± said Mr Taramykin, a member of 바카라사이트?Campus Vote Project advocacy group, ¡°we¡¯re only fur바카라사이트r outnumbered by 바카라사이트 communities that surround us, which often tend to be much older, much whiter, and usually have very different political interests than what we have.¡±

College students won a key voting rights victory in 1979 when 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court ruled that 바카라사이트y?could cast ballots in 바카라사이트ir campus communities.

Mr Taramykin, however, said he chooses to vote in his hometown in Florida, where 바카라사이트 relatively close balance between 바카라사이트 two main political parties makes his participation ¡°more politically valuable¡± than it is in Gainesville, where he spends most of his time.

Dr Thomas said she saw no equivalency between that kind of strategic decision and 바카라사이트 political manipulation represented by gerrymandering. ¡°I want voters to pick 바카라사이트ir politicians, not 바카라사이트 politicians to pick 바카라사이트ir voters,¡± she said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com