Please join us for the WPI Alum Network Webinar 9: Redistricting/W3: WHO/WHAT/WHY it matters!
WHEN:
Thursday, May 27th, from 12 – 1:15 pm, where we’ll learn how redistricting maps are drawn, what equitable districts mean for our communities, and why you should care about it.
WHAT:
Based on the idea of fair representation, redistricting makes sure that each of our voices can be represented fairly, by creating districts that have the same number of people. Census data that is collected every ten years is used to draw new maps to account for the ways that populations have changed and moved across the states and districts.
How district lines are drawn influences who runs for public office and who is elected. Elected representatives make decisions that are important to our lives, from ensuring safe schools to adopting immigration policies. Who lives in a district can influence whether elected officials feel obligated to respond to a community’s needs. The district boundaries are in place for ten years, and their policy impacts can last well beyond that.
WHO:
WPI Alum Cecilia Gomez Reyes, Communications Manager, California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) will facilitate, in conversation with:
- Sara Sadhwani, Assistant Professor at Pomona College and 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commissioner
- Helen Hutchinson, Redistricting Director for the League of Women Voters California