Utah is preparing for the once-every-decade process of redrawing political maps.
This week we take a deep dive into redistricting with Rex Facer, the chairman of Utah’s independent redistricting commission. He discusses the considerations and the rules he and the other members of the commission have to consider when they get down to drawing new map proposals later this year.
Facer says he and his fellow commissioners are very conscious of not drawing gerrymandered maps that favor one party over another.
“We don’t want to agree beforehand to draw maps that are going to force competitiveness where competitiveness wouldn’t naturally occur,” Facer said. “Competitive elections are a good thing because it forces us to have more thoughtful conversations on ideas. But we have to realize that not every place is going to end up with competitive elections.”
He also discusses how the delay in census data makes their job more difficult and how the public can get involved in the process.
Rex Facer on Twitter: @RexFacer
Subscribe to the podcast for free here.