2020 Census and Redistricting Thread: Alabama

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

This is my take on what a fair map would be.

https://davesredistricting.org/join/90d473e9-c12d-4317-a891-fe50e3d4b4af

The black belt district is 56% black, and the JeffCo-Tuscaloosa district is 52% white and 42% black, but JeffCo whites are less racially polarized and are more liberal than other AL white voters.

As far as a fair map goes, I don't know if it makes much since to dip into Mobile instead of Birmingham, particularly since the rest of Mobile has iffy connections to the other parts of AL-01.

Perhaps it could take in Tuscaloosa instead and allow AL-06 to dip into Shelby.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

When it comes to Alabama redistricting, I'm of the opinion that there should be a Jefferson County based district, a rural/Montgomery VRA seat, a Huntsville/Northern Alabama seat, a Mobile based seat, and the rest I don't care about. Obviously Alabama republicans would not allow this and Democrats are satisfied with the current VRA seat that reaches into Birmingham, but I don't like splitting the major urban center of any state two ways, as the current Alabama map does.

If you draw the VRA seat just in the black belt, it'll be like mine.  Some people expressed concerns over its legality.

If you push Shelby into the Birmingham seat and swap some AA Jefferson precincts into the VRA district, that could mitigate the issue.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

When it comes to Alabama redistricting, I'm of the opinion that there should be a Jefferson County based district, a rural/Montgomery VRA seat, a Huntsville/Northern Alabama seat, a Mobile based seat, and the rest I don't care about. Obviously Alabama republicans would not allow this and Democrats are satisfied with the current VRA seat that reaches into Birmingham, but I don't like splitting the major urban center of any state two ways, as the current Alabama map does.

If you draw the VRA seat just in the black belt, it'll be like mine.  Some people expressed concerns over its legality.

If you push Shelby into the Birmingham seat and swap some AA Jefferson precincts into the VRA district, that could mitigate the issue.

But then Birmingham is split, like it is now.

Yep.