Making Census of the Population and Redistricting

At #ACS2018, a panel of legal experts discuss the upcoming census and what it will mean for redistricting.

The nation is fast approaching the next census and round of redistricting. 2020 could be a chance to undo the distortive gerrymandering of the past decade, or it could see a doubling down on manipulation and entrenchment. There are already troubling signs that the census itself may be politicized to an unprecedented degree, and that it will result in a significant undercount that penalizes minority communities and those with high immigrant populations, among others. The next redistricting cycle will take place with a very different Supreme Court, with open questions about whether the traditional remedies relied upon my voting rights advocates will continue to be viable. On the other hand, there are encouraging signals that the Supreme Court may finally be willing to wade into the question of partisan gerrymandering. This panel will preview the 2020 redistricting and the battles ahead of us. What risks are there to a full and accurate census count? What challenges will communities of color likely face in ensuring fair representation? How is redistricting jurisprudence likely to be different in the next cycle?

Featuring:

Adam Liptak, The New York Times (moderator)
Guy-Uriel Charles, Edward and Ellen Schwarzian Professor of Law, Duke Law School
Terri Ann Lowenthal, Consultant; Former Staff Director, House Subcommittee on Census and Population
Katherine McKnight, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP
Arturo Vargas, Executive Director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)
Wendy Weiser, Director, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law