UTAH CITIZENS’ COUNSEL 2011 Redistricting Effort

“Equal representation is so fundamental a principle in a true republic that no prejudice can justify its violation because the prejudices themselves cannot be justified.”
Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson Papers,
Library of Congress, Vol. 216p. 1816

The Utah Citizens’ Counsel announces our desire to work with the legislature and all interested parties to create newly drawn political districts that strengthen democratic processes, honor our shared value for fairness of representation and demonstrate the public worth of an independent, citizens’ redistricting commission—committed to the principles which follow, rather than partisan advantage.

Utah Citizens’ Counsel Statement of Principles on Redistricting:

  • The redistricting plan should match the spirit as well as the letter of the state and federal legal standards of population and continuity. A fair redistricting effort should:
    • Be open and transparent
    • Respect existing city and county boundaries to the extent possible
    • Identify communities of  common interest
    • Promote meaningful competition between political parties rather than single party districts which effectively silence the voice of the minority voter whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent.

Principles: Additional Details

  1. A complete count in Census 2010 is an essential building block for all redistricting efforts.
  2. The process used for redistricting must be transparent to the public.
  3. An independent commission should be created and charged to make redistricting recommendations to the legislature.
  4. The redistricting process must provide data, tools and opportunities for the public to have direct input into the specific plans under consideration by the redistricting body.
  5. In order to achieve representative and participatory democracy, redistricting plans must be drawn in a manner that balances the voting power of Utah’s rural and urban residents and allows elected bodies to reflect common interests, and the diversity of the populace, especially racial and ethnic diversity.
  6. The redistricting plan should match the spirit as well as the letter of the state and federal legal standards which require that Utah must:
  • Keep municipalities intact
  • Make the process open and transparent
  • Respect existing city and county boundaries
  • Limit the control of the process by individuals with obvious conflicts of interest
  • Comply with federal and state constitutions and the Voting Rights Act
  • Equalize population to the greatest extent possible
  • Keep each district contiguous
  • Keep districts reasonably compact
  • Identify communities of common interest
  • Promote meaningful competition between political parties rather than single-party districts