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Redistricting on ballot this fall

Sep 24, 2021 12:33 pm

Gabriel Poblete reports for City and State that this fall's election gives voters a chance to tweak New York's redistricting process. And while some may charge that the process is currently broken, as the 10-member state Independent Redistricting Commission just released dueling district maps along party lines, The New York Redistricting Changes Amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot probably won't change that. If approved by voters, the amendment would cap the number of senators at 63 in the state constitution. The amendment would also change approval of new redistricting maps from a two-thirds threshold to a simple majority, making it easier to whichever party is currently in charge in Albany. The amendment would also allow towns to be split in different districts. And the proposal would move up the redistricting timeline by about two weeks. “I would say this is like a very interesting part of the democratic process that most people don't pay attention to but has a huge impact on the direction of the state, the country," said Democratic state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris. Read more about this story at City and State.