More Background:

In 2000 Arizona voted to take the redistricting power out of the hands of politicians and establish the Independent Redistricting Commission.

Instead of legislators going behind closed doors to draw their own districts, this 5-member citizen commission creates our new legislative and congressional maps in a transparent public process, accessible to all Arizonans.

Arizona’s transparent, accessible redistricting process is now under attack. The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments (CACA) is in charge of selecting the 25 IRC applicants who will be eligible for appointment, and earlier this year they petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court to change the rules to make it much easier to conduct their business in closed-door executive sessions AND allow any person submitting a comment about any IRC applicant to keep their comment secret and inaccessible to the public.

On top of all that, the rule changes proposed by the CACA would also allow individual members to circumvent Arizona’s public records request laws, and keep some of their related emails and notes private.

The proposed rule change would also allow the individual members of the CACA to keep some of their related emails and notes private — allowing them to circumvent Arizona’s public records request laws.

Despite all of the evidence that the maps drawn by the previous commission have delivered fair results for both parties, the Republican party has been trying for 10 years to constrain and undermine the IRC. This proposed rule change is their latest attempt to rig the process and keep the public in the dark as they establish a not-so-independent redistricting commission.

We can’t allow the Ducey-appointed CACA to shield the IRC selection process from the public. The IRC’s work will impact the next ten years of Arizona elections. We must demand that the commissioner selection process be fair, open and transparent.

Arizona Democrats are far from alone in opposing this rule change. The League of Women Voters of Arizona and our state’s largest media outlets are urging the Supreme Court to reject these changes.

Add your name in opposition! Sign the League of Women Voters of Arizona’s letter here.

What You Can Do:

The time for Arizonans to apply to serve on the next Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is just around the corner. To get the word out, the Arizona Democratic Party is partnering with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to offer free online information sessions about the IRC and how Arizonans can apply.

Check out the schedule and register for an upcoming session at: https://www.mobilize.us/az_dems/event/275550/

You can also sign up to receive notification of future sessions here: https://forms.gle/tYFWq4SFYReSqWHW7

The Independent Redistricting Commission is a once-in-a-decade public service opportunity. If we want fair maps in the 2020s, it is important that Arizonans from every county and all backgrounds apply to serve on the IRC. If you or someone you know might be interested in applying to serve, be sure to sign up for a session, and share with your networks!