As Florida lawmakers prepare for a special session in Tallahassee beginning April 28, they are considering something both unnecessary and deeply concerning — redrawing congressional districts in the middle of the decade.
Florida voters added the Fair Districts Amendments to our Constitution in 2010 with 63% approval. One portion of these amendments (Article III, Section 20) reads: “In establishing congressional district boundaries, no apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.”
Mid-decade redistricting runs directly counter to both the spirit and the letter of our Constitution.
Let’s be clear about what’s at stake.
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It’s wasteful. Redistricting is expensive. At a time when Floridians are struggling with rising insurance premiums, gas prices, grocery prices and utility bills, the state should not be spending taxpayer dollars to redraw maps that were already established just a few years ago.
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It’s unconstitutional. Florida’s Constitution prohibits partisan gerrymandering. Redrawing districts without new census data raises serious concerns about whether any new map could meet that standard — or survive inevitable legal challenges.
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It’s destabilizing. Redistricting is meant to follow population changes measured every 10 years. If lawmakers begin redrawing maps whenever it is politically convenient, it opens the door to constant manipulation, voter confusion and declining trust in elections.
And voters are paying attention. According to a survey conducted by Emerson College Polling in late March, a majority of Floridians — including a majority of independents — opposes mid-decade redistricting. Another statewide survey found that most voters, across party lines, reject drawing districts to give one party an advantage.
This is not a partisan complaint. It’s a public consensus.
If mid-decade redistricting moves forward, it will not happen in a vacuum. It will shape political power, influence future elections and potentially benefit those with ambitions beyond their current office.
More importantly, voters deserve clarity.
Redistricting should never be driven by political opportunity. It should be guided by data, fairness and the goal of representing real communities — not reshaping them for advantage.
Florida voters already spoke when they approved the Fair Districts Amendments. Lawmakers should listen.
The League of Women Voters urges our legislators to reject any attempt to redraw legislative or congressional maps before the 2030 census.
Our democracy works best when voters choose their representatives — not the other way around.
-- Allyson Meyers is co-president of the League of Women Voters of Broward County.