Thread by @kazweida

This #SaturdayMorning we're addressing a complaint from those who say they won't bother voting this November.

What does it matter? they think. Gerrymandering has rigged the election. I'm in a red state or a red district. My vote won't count.

Here's why it matters.
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(THREAD)

(2) The GOP has erected many barriers to voting, including voter ID laws & lax security that undermines voter confidence in elections. But perhaps their most powerful tool is voter suppression through gerrymandering.

It's how the GOP won the House in 2012
nytimes.com/2018/06/19/opi…

(3) Gerrymandering is when state legislatures draw up districts in order to heavily weight conservative votes. Republican gerrymandering after the 2010 census helped win a majority of House seats for the GOP in 2012 even though they got fewer votes across congressional districts.

(4) Today’s congressional map is more biased in favor of Republicans than it has been in 100 years, in good part because of gerrymandering. The worst states?

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Lousiana, Utah, Arkansas, Ohio & Texas
rantt.com/the-top-10-mos…

(5) Earlier this year, the Supreme Court punted ruling on partisan gerrymandering, sending the case back to the lower courts. There have been rulings in some states that force maps to be redrawn but don't require those maps to be in place before November.

washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…

(6) So the crux of the problem is that we're still living under minority rule, with the most unpopular President in modern times and a GOP controlled Congress that proudly thumbs their noses at constituents in favor of special interests and dark money.

rollingstone.com/politics/polit…

(7) You'd be forgiven for believing your vote doesn't matter in certain states and districts, but you'd be wrong. Something unprecedented is happening this year, and not even the best pollsters have a faithful model for voter turnout in this election.

vox.com/2018/9/4/16769…

(8) And there's an important thing on the ballot that massive turnout in every district could bolster. Who gets to draw the district maps moving forward. That means taking state senate seats and governorships in key states.

vox.com/2018/9/4/16769…

(9) The Brennan Center for Justice analysis is that GOP power to swing elections through unfair districting is concentrated in 7 states: Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. Some other analysts have added Wisconsin.

politico.com/f/?id=0000015c…

(10) Which races should we focus on?

-The governorships of FL, PA, OH, MI, WI, TX & GA

-The state senates in MI, FL, PA, OH, WI, & TX

There are also some key ballot initiatives that address gerrymandering you should pay attention to.

michiganradio.org/post/5-things-…

(11) Now for the important part. Who needs your help?

Tom Wolf, PA
Andrew Gillum, FL
Richard Cordray, OH
Gretchen Whitmer, MI
Tony Evers, WI
Stacey Abrams, GA

The tightest races above are @RichCordray in OH, @AndrewGillum in FL, and @staceyabrams in GA.
projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/governor/

(12) Here is a general consensus on key state senate races.

Tossup: Wisconsin
Lean Republican: Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin
Likely Republican: Texas

Yeah. We've got work to do. It's unlikely Dems flip TX, but the rest is possible.

vox.com/policy-and-pol…

(13) Here's why you vote: Because winning smaller districts matters. These are the seats that draw the maps and can put an end to GOP gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is on the ballot in November whether you know it or not
So vote like your democracy depends on it.
Because it does

(END) Thanks to @K_TownJester for the #SundayMorning thread suggestions. Come back next week and get more in-depth analysis from the headlines.

And thanks to all of you, who have followed & shared & grown this little corner of the Twitterverse into 50K strong. I appreciate you!