CIVIL & HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS FILE IN SUPREME COURT BRIEF IN 1 PERSON, 1 VOTE CASE

USPA NEWS - A statement was made by 'The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human  Rights', on September 28, 2015, mentioning that, they and six other civil rights groups filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Evenwel v. Abbott...

A statement was made by 'The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human  Rights', on September 28, 2015, mentioning that, they and six other civil rights groups filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Evenwel v. Abbott. 'The challenge seeks to narrow who is counted in districting to something other than total population, which would result in a lack of representation for countless individuals, including immigrants, people of color, people with disabilities and families with children.'

'The brief highlights the impact that reversing this principle would have on minority and underrepresented people. Since registration rates, age, naturalization status and language proficiency vary dramatically among racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and low-income people, a ruling in favor of the challengers would forfeit the right of many individuals to be represented in our political system entirely.'

BELOW ARE SOME POINTS TAKEN FROM THE BRIEF :

'In Part I below, we show that, absent extraordinary circumstances, total population is the proper basis to use for redistricting because it ensures that all people“”not merely those who are eligible to vote or who actually cast ballots“”are represented in the political process. At any given point in time, there are significant groups of people residing in the United States who are not legally eligible to vote.'

'In Part II, we show that registered voters and actual voters are not a reliable or appropriate basis for redistricting, whether for purposes of drawing Congressional districts, state legislative districts, or districts for local government bodies.'

'In Part III, we show why using CVAP as the basis for redistricting is also deeply problematic. In particular, switching from a total population standard to a CVAP standard would disproportionately exclude racial and ethnic minorities from the population base. Thus on balance, use of CVAP as a basis for redis-tricting would have a discriminatory impact on historically disenfranchised minority and immigrant communities, depriving them of the right to be adequately represented and the political power to which they would be entitled if fully counted as whole persons in the population base.'
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Source : Brief of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights ET AL. AS AMICI CURIAE in support of appellees.