Column: Fair redistricting essential as Nevada’s demographics change

Nevada’s future, and yours, will be decided over the next couple of weeks.

When data from the 2020 U.S. census was released in August — delayed by the pandemic — the Nevada State Legislature began its once-in-a-decade process of redrawing new legislative and congressional districts that could determine who represents us in Carson City and Washington, D.C., for the next 10 years.

The intricacies of redistricting may not be your top-of-mind concern, but the outcome will have huge implications for you, your family and our communities.

Why do we draw new lines every 10 years? Nevada’s population and demographics have changed, and fair redistricting is essential to ensure that all Nevadans are represented equally by local, state and federal representatives who make important decisions that affect our daily lives — like how much money our schools get, which roads get repaved, who has access to health care and whether our civil rights are protected or rolled back. There are infinite ways to divide Nevadans into districts, and how those lines are drawn will determine whether certain communities are empowered or divided.

Typically, the lines are drawn with “communities of interest” in mind. A community of interest is a geographically connected group of people who have common priorities and concerns because of their race or ethnicity, religious background, sexual orientation or gender identity, or even shared hobbies and life experiences. When communities of interest are united in a district, it increases their chance of electing officials who will fight for them and be responsive to their needs and priorities.

While Nevada’s population did not grow enough to warrant an additional congressional seat, the U.S. Census Bureau did find that the state’s diversity index rose to 68.8% — the third-highest in the country after Hawaii and California. White Caucasians now account for 51.2% of Nevada residents, an 11.1% drop from 2010. Hispanics or Latinos make up the next largest ethnic group, with 28.7%. Black people comprise 12.1% of the state’s population, just behind the 12.5% representing Asian American and Pacific Islanders. American Indian/Alaska Natives make up 3.4%. The biggest shift in population was among people who identify as multiracial. Fourteen percent of Nevadans now identify as two or more races.

The Clark County Commission, which draws its own district lines for the next decade, hired a consultant who created three options. All three created two Latino minority-majority districts. Having Latino representation on the commission is important, as right now there is none. Unfortunately, the county’s Black community would be in one of the Latino-majority districts. This could disempower the Black community from electing a “candidate of choice” — a member of the community or an ally who will champion them.

At every opportunity, the community expressed this concern. Community members also expressed that the two are not mutually exclusive; it was possible to increase Latino and Black representation.

At the state level, fair and equitable redistricting is not a foregone conclusion. While Democrats control both the state house and governorship, there are partisan political operatives working to maximize the number of seats their party will hold — sometimes without regard to how that helps or hurts marginalized communities.

Community advocates have attended public meetings and pushed for more transparency in the redistricting process. The Nevadans Count Coalition successfully requested that the Clark County School District develop additional redistricting maps that don’t break up communities. There is evidence that partisan operatives won’t be timid about pushing views that run counter to creating voting districts that are fair and equitable — a practice commonly referred to as gerrymandering, used to exclude certain communities from political power. These individuals and groups would be more than happy if ordinary Nevadans weren’t paying attention and stayed out of the redistricting process — allowing them to carve up our communities for political gain.

We can curb attempts at gerrymandering through increased public input, accountability and transparent processes. We must ensure that “one person, one vote” requirements are in place.

Communities must inform and lead redistricting processes to make progress toward an equitable society and a true representative democracy. Through public testimony and monitoring of the process, communities can ensure that future maps better empower all Nevadans to elect candidates who will fight for them. By participating in the redistricting process, communities have a better opportunity to elect candidates of their choice ­— candidates who can voice the community’s needs and interests.

For more information: Select information about redistricting in Nevada can be found at the Legislature’s website on reapportionment and redistricting: leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/Districts/Reapp/2021/

Andre Wade is the state director of Silver State Equality, Nevada’s statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization.