Nassau Democrats Propose Independent Redistricting Commission

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — The Democratic minority of the Nassau County Legislature is putting forward a proposal to create an independent redistricting commission for the county, changing the way that the lines are drawn for the Legislature's 19 districts.

Every 10 years, after the national census, Nassau County redraws the boundaries of its 19 legislative districts to reflect the shifting population of the area. As of now, the Legislature is in charge of redistricting, which has led to accusations of gerrymandering the districts.

“The creation of an independent redistricting commission will liberate Nassau County voters
from decades of election districts which exist primarily to advance the political interests of
entrenched machine politicians over the interests of the people,” said Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, a Democrat from Hempstead, who put forward the plan. “Because voters will have real choices in competitive elections, it will no longer be safe for elected officials to ignore the interests of large segments of Nassau County’s electorate. To oppose this bill is to sacrifice the common good of the people in Nassau in favor of the selfish interests of the few.”

Under the plan, a nine-member commission would be created to redistrict the county every decade. The districts would be drawn to be geographically compact and contiguous, and would respect communities of interest, and also maintain the boundaries of cities, towns and villages.

If the measure was passed, the first election that would use the new maps would be in 2023.

According to Abrahams, the current process creates districts that are designed to elect incumbents by packing Democratic and Republican voters into separate districts. Since the Legislature was first formed in 1995, Abrahams says that incumbents have one 95 percent of contested races.

Abrahams' proposal would require the commission to solicit public input on the map it makes. It would hold public hearings and take comments from the public and recommendations from the Legislature. A draft of the map would have to be released no later than September 2022, and the final map would have to be certified at least a year before Election Day 2023.

The measure would also have rules for appointing a Special Master to complete the redistricting if the commission doesn't meet its deadline, or if the maps are rejected by a court. It would also protect the commission from partisan politics by requiring a mandatory public referendum in order to approve any changes to how it operates.

“As Nassau County and the nation continue to engage with the most urgent civil rights debate of
our generation, we are reminded that the most fundamental of all civil rights is the sanctity of the
right to vote,” Abrahams said. “However, the right to vote means very little if the outcome of elections is rigged by partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts. This is a bill that will restore full voting rights in Nassau and ensure that all communities will have a meaningful voice in elections. This means that their voices will also be heard by government officials who make the crucial decisions that affect their lives.”