Statewide advocacy group to hold presentation on gerrymandering in Uniontown
The conversation over redrawing Pennsylvania’s congressional districts has crescendoed in recent weeks.
Now that conversation is coming to Uniontown.
Fair Districts PA, a statewide organization advocating for redistricting, is holding a public event at 100 S. Mount Vernon Ave. in Uniontown on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Carol Kuniholm, founder & statewide chair of Fair Districts PA, will make a PowerPoint presentation and field discussion on the latest Pennsylvania redistricting news amid the state being tasked with crafting a revamped congressional district map.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let a court-ordered redrawing of congressional districts in Pennsylvania proceed. The state Supreme Court ruled last month that the current map of 18 districts violates the state constitution because it unfairly benefits Republicans.
Kuniholm’s stop in Uniontown, Friday, comes between similar planned events in Erie, Thursday, and Cranberry Township, Saturday, and it’s slated to fall on another big day for redistricting in Pennsylvania as Friday also marks the deadline for the Republican-controlled state legislature to submit a replacement map for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to consider.
An informal meet and greet with Kuniholm will take place during lunch starting at 1 p.m.
Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation has been 13-5 in favor of Republicans during the three election cycles since the GOP-drawn 2011 map took effect, and experts have said those 13 seats are several more than would have been produced by a nonpartisan map.
Alina Keebler, southwest regional coordinator for Fair Districts PA, said that her organization’s goal is the appointment of an independent citizens commission to direct the redistricting process as informed by municipal and county boundaries instead of politicians drawing the map.
“The goal is for people to be represented fairly,” Keebler said.
The state Supreme Court said it expects new districts to be in place by Feb. 19, and the new map is expected to be in play for the May 15 congressional primaries.
Keebler said that many Pennsylvanians like her among the state’s electorate feel their representatives aren’t representing them in a districting landscape they feel is gerrymandered, encouraging apathy toward voting.
Gerrymandering is manipulating district boundaries to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group.
The U.S. Constitution gives the states primary authority to regulate federal elections, including congressional redistricting.
The Jan. 22 majority order from the state Supreme Court said new districts should be compact and contiguous and only split counties, cities, towns, boroughs, townships or wards when needed to ensure population equality.
Kuniholm’s presentation will highlight what Fair Districts PA says is gerrymandering’s impact on the region.
“A lot of people really care about this topic,” Keebler said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.