Prelim. Senate map pop. deviations too wide
The proposed senate map is undemocratic because of the wide population deviations. My fellow residents of SD 43 and I are over represented, while many of my fellow PA Citizens, mostly in eastern PA, are under represented. POPULATION DEVIATION Population deviations are WAY too wide. (24928 people; 9.6%) The largest district is SD 40 at +12265. The smallest is SD 29 at -12663. There are seven counties in PA and countless municipalities with populations lower than 24,000. While courts may have expressed tolerance for this level of deviation, deviations this wide are not necessary in PA, and are undemocratic. FAVORING WEST OVER EAST Western & Central PA would be over represented, while eastern PA would be underrepresented. Eastern senate districts would be overpopulated by 95,116. Senate districts in southwestern PA would be underpopulated by 72,893. A BETTER WAY Using the LRC preliminary map as a starting point, I edited the map and adjusted the districts to have a smaller population deviation. I also improved other aspects of the preliminary map, highlighted below. Here is my map: https://davesredistricting.org/join/dbeb88aa-46d5-41b9-b353-5f6f5245f6ec ODD NUMBERED DISTRICTS Voters in odd numbered districts just selected senators in 2020. They will not have a chance to select new senators until 2024. Approximately half the residents (primarily the city of York and surrounding suburbs) in the preliminary LRC map’s SD 31 would be coming from even numbered districts (current SD 48 & 28), where they haven’t had the opportunity to vote for their PA Senator since 2018, and they wouldn’t get to vote on their new Senator until 2024. There are other instances in the LRC preliminary map where new residents are moved into odd numbered districts in order to reduce splitting. An example of this: approximately 25,000 residents from the current SD 25 are moved into SD 35 in order to keep Clearfield county whole. Odd numbered districts in my map include most of the population of the same odd numbered district in the current map. MINORITY OPPORTUNITY Improved opportunity for Black and Latino communities in the Philadelphia area. Philadelphia is the only area in PA where there is an opportunity for a significant Latino plurality district. My map’s SD 2 is 44% Latino. My map increases Black majorities in SD 3, 4, 7 & 8 (59%, 54% 58%, 63%) COMPACTNESS The preliminary LRC map draws sprawling, stringy districts 2, 5 & 7, and a horseshoe shaped SD 22. I improve the compactness of these and other districts. SPLITTING DISTRICTS, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES The preliminary map was able to achieve relatively few county splits by allowing high population deviation and by moving population from odd numbered districts into new districts. My map does include more county splits in order to acheive lower population deviation and in order to avoid moving residents of odd numbered districts. (More on that below.) In addition, unlike the preliminary map, my map prioritizes keeping two municipalities together that are split by county lines: Shippensburg (Cumberland & Franklin counties) and Trafford (Westmoreland & Allegheny). Why does the LRC map have their split municipalities precincts around Lancaster City? My map avoids those splits. I would note that DRA scores maps on splitting Senate Districts and counties but does not give weight to splitting municipalities and wards; this part of the reason my map scores lower on splitting than the preliminary map. Districts 4, 7 & 8 are split between counties in SE PA. While splitting two Philadelphia area districts is necessary in order to maximize African American opportunity in Districts 4 & 8, splitting SD 7 is unnecessary and actually weaken minority opportunity in District 7, compared with my map. My map moves SD 7 completely within Philly.