logo

Welcome to Georgia: One of the Least Politically Competitive States in the Nation

image
Created: 29 April, 2015
Updated: 21 November, 2022
1 min read

This week, the Washington Post published an analysis of Georgia's gerrymandering problem. Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating electoral boundaries to favor one political party or dilute the voting power of specific voting blocs.

Georgia's redistricting process is overseen by its legislature, a common theme among states with a history of uncompetitive elections.

In addition to a surprising lack of competition in the 2014 elections, the Washington Post found:

"But really, it's not that surprising. In the state Senate, where there are precisely zero crossover districts, the most Democrat-friendly district held by Republicans went more than seven points (53 percent to 46 percent) for Mitt Romney, and the most Republican-friendly district held by Democrats went nearly 17 points for Obama (!), 58 percent to 41 percent. In other words, there is no state Senate district that went between 46 percent and 57 percent for Obama. There are really no swing districts, per se." - The Fix, April 27, 2015

L2-Early-Voting-10292014

Of over 200 incumbent legislators up for re-election in the state, less than 5 percent came within 5 percentage points of losing their re-election, and only one incumbent, Democratic U.S. Rep. John J. Barrow, actually lost.

A bill that would move the state toward adopting an independent redistricting commission was put forward in January, but has made little progress since. Independent redistricting commissions, though not completely immune from partisan influence, are considered by most to be a practical alternative. These 'independent' commissions are usually comprised of non-legislators from both parties as well as one or more nonpartisan members. In some instances, the state auditor selects potential commission members from a pool of applicants and then the legislature selects the final members.

Whether or not independent redistricting commissions like those in California and Arizona will be constitutional for much longer is set to be decided by the Supreme Court in the summer.

 

 

IVP Existence Banner

 

Image: georgia.gov

 

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read