Fair Districts PA began its efforts to educate the public and the press about the need for a fair and independent system of redistricting for Pennsylvania’s congressional and state legislative districts in January 2016.
We’ve made 1,244 presentations to citizen groups statewide, attended by nearly 47,378 people, appeared on dozens of radio and TV public affairs programs and podcasts, and talked with numerous editorial boards. The results:
- Reform bills, drafted by bipartisan authors with Fair Districts input, were backed by a majority of House representatives and tallied more bipartisan co-sponsors than any legislation of the 2017-18 session.
- HBs 23/22 had the most co-sponsors of all bills filed in the 2019-2020 session. Companion Senate bills 1023 and 1022 had 19/20 cosponsors, respectively.
- Statewide ${passedTotal} governing bodies, including ${passedCounties} county commissions, have declared their support for fair redistricting practices. These elected bodies, with both Republican and Democratic majorities, represent over 9 million Pennsylvanians—70% of the estimated population of the state. More resolutions are being sought.
- The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB) passed a resolution of support. PSAB represents 956 PA boroughs with a combined population of 2.6 million Pennsylvanians.
- Fueled by hundreds of citizen volunteers, over 108,921 Pennsylvanians have so far signed petitions supporting an independent redistricting commission.
- Our supporters have called, visited legislative offices and sent thousands of letters, emails and faxes to their local legislators calling for change.
- Hometown newspapers have printed 653 letters to the editor supporting reform.
- In addition to writing over 1828 news articles about redistricting and gerrymandering, over 100 media outlets statewide, representing big cities and small towns and a full political spectrum, have run over 702 editorials, op-eds and columns—virtually ALL of them calling for reform.
- Redistricting reform is on the march nationwide. In the November 2018 general election, voters in Michigan, Colorado, Utah and Missouri approved reform referendums to create independent commissions (MI, CO and MO by margins of 60-70 percent.) Reform referendum drives were launched in Arkansas and Oklahoma in 2020.
- The 1.2 million residents of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County overwhelmingly support reform: 97 percent say it’s a problem and 76 percent believe an independent commission is the way to solve it, including two-thirds of Republicans.
Statewide polls found that 2/3rds of Pennsylvanians in three polls* support an independent commission, free of political influence and operating in total transparency.
*Apr. 18, 2018, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center with Common Cause PA and League of Women Voters PA, 68% support an independent commission.
*October 2019, Franklin & Marshall Poll, 72% believe current system lets party leaders put their interests over those of voters. 67% favor an independent commission to draw voting district lines. (Dem 66% Ind.78% Rep63%)
**June 2018, Pittsburgh Quality of Life survey by Pittsburgh Today and the University of Pittsburgh University Center for Social and Urban Research.
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