MAP 150

A MAP 150 Demonstration Project

Project Overview
How important is the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts to fair elections? This Redistricting Roulette Wheel is a one-click way to discover what’s at stake. As part of a Humphrey Institute redistricting project in Minnesota, the Citizens League is organizing and executing a citizen-directed effort to weigh in on Minnesota’s redistricting after the 2010 census. Did the roulette wheel whet your appetite? Now try your hand at the Redistricting game.

The Citizens League will convene a series of community conversations throughout Minnesota, and use a variety of avenues to connect and communicate with citizens. These meetings will combine traditional community conversations (e.g. expert panelists talking with community members), with innovative tools like using a new online game to test out the implications of various redistricting scenarios. We’ll post a schedule of these meetings, but if you’d like to be emailed when they’re set, contact us and let us know.

Through the web-based Redistricting Game, developed through the Annenberg School at USC, Minnesotans will have the opportunity to play the game and learn how redistricting results in Minnesota could be affected depending on the “mission” of the game. We are exploring the possibility of revising the game to include actual Minnesota data and maps, thus tying learning to actual implications, and allow Minnesotans to create their own plans for the state’s redistricting.

The Citizens League will work with “good government” partners to help publicize and disseminate the game. We have a variety of high profile partners in the works, so stayed tuned! If you’d like to get your organization involved, contact us.

Goals

• To involve Minnesotans in a discussion about redistricting reform, demonstrating that if involvement opportunities are meaningful and engaging, citizens will participate in important policy subjects that may be otherwise not gain much attention.
• To educate and raise awareness of Minnesotans on the fundamental questions and options in this redistricting issue.
• To move the ideas and input of these citizens into the formal policy discussion at the state legislature.