The Alaska Redistricting Board's Dramatic Pleas For Military Voters And JBER's 3.5% Voter Turnout [Updated 8/31/22]

The Republican majority of the Alaska Redistricting Board created elaborate stories to justify pairing a Muldoon house district with Eagle River.  When that was rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court, they made even more passionate pleas to keep JBER with Chugiak in a state senate district.   It was mostly about the military connections,  and how the holy soldiers would be deprived of their representation if paired with the unholy (read: Democratic) downtown. 

Simpson:  "The most partisan is the proposed pairing of JBER and downtown.  This would diminish the voice of our valued military personal.  I can’t accept that.  I will vote for 3B."

Simpson: "I find the pairing of 23 and 24 ER and Chugiak the more compelling solution.  Pairing JBER with downtown overlooks a conflict of interest and opens us to a challenge to that constituency.  Chugiak has developed as a bedroom community for the military families.  They send their kids to middle school and high school there.  That testimony was compelling to that pairing."

Marcum:  "I’m very uncomfortable with Option 2 because it moves JBER and links it with D17.  It makes the least sense for any possible pairings.  Downtown is the arts and tourism, not what makes up JBER.  It is used to wake up the military community.  Choosing option 2 is an intentional intent to break up that natural pairing.  JBER should be with Chugiak" [note, these were my notes and I suspect I missed some words, but I did get the tone and intent correct.] 

Marcum:  "I would like say on behalf of our military.  Implications for military will be major.  Dominated by downtown voters.  JBER voice will be lost.  Ironic that those who have sacrificed the most."

You can see each of them and Member Binkley on the video on this blog post.   

[UPDATED August 31, 2022:  I knew I had their comments and my responses somewhere, but couldn't find them when I wrote this.  They're in this post - at the end.  My comments are in red which should make that section easier to find.]

So, let's look at that lost voice.  .   Here are the results from House District 18 for August 16 primary election.  Those brave soldiers barely whispered

 

Note that the JBER precinct has 7,528 registered voters out of 12,157 voters total.  That means they comprise about 60% of the voters in the district.  Yet only 277 JBER precinct voters actually voted out of 1184 total votes.  Although they are 60% of the total voters, they were only 23% of the people who actually voted.  The State's chart shows that only 3.68% of JBER voters voted!

The military tend not to vote.  All the candidates with parts of their district on base know this.  The fact that campaigning on base is difficult - candidates aren't allowed to go door to door for example - doesn't bother candidates too much because the military tend not to vote in large numbers.  Particularly for state offices.  (I haven't found the precinct by precinct stats for the US Senate or House races which might have gotten a slightly higher percent of JBER voters.)

So all the theatrics by Budd Simpson, Bethany Marcum, and to a lesser extent John Binkley about how JBER needed to be paired with Chugiak so they could be fairly represented and not, God forbid, with downtown, was just that - an act to capture one more Republican state senate seat.  

Fortunately, the Alaska Supreme Court saw through the dramatics, thanks, in large part to minority Redistricting Board members Melanie Bahnke and Nicole Borromeo.  

Back Home - Random Bits

Flying north to Anchorage from Seattle on a summer night is always cool.  It has been a while since we've done it.  It was dark and definitely night when the plane finally took off at 10pm.  But soon there was a distant twilight visible on the northern horizon.  

Here's what it looked like just before landing at 12:15 am.  

TSA & Masks

When we left Anchorage last week, NONE of the TSA people at the Anchorage Airport was wearing a mask.  When we left Seattle last night, EVERY TSA worker was wearing a mask.  Not sure what that means.  Is the difference the location?  Is the difference the timing?  Don't know.

Houseboats

We had late lunch yesterday with a friend who lives on a houseboat in Seattle.  It was like being allowed into some secret community hidden from the world.  I understand that other Seattle houseboat enclaves are more visible to the outside world, but this one is small and tucked away out of view from most.  To actually get down to the boats, you need a key to open the gate.  

A relatively few people in the world live on houseboats.  When I googled to find out how many, there were only two links that discussed number of houseboats at all in the first few pages.  Most seem to be more commercial posts that I'm guessing pay Google to get them to the top.  They're more on topics like "Everything You Need to Know About Living On A Houseboat" or how to rent a houseboat.  A 2014 Smithsonian piece says 10,000 Londoners live on the water.  But remember that's people, not boats, and London's population is over 8.5 million. A 2021 Seattle Met link says there are only 215 legal houseboats in Seattle.  Statista has a graph of number of houseboats sold in the US from 2004 to 2013.  There was a almost steady decline from 550 to 70.  

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and we sat on the deck as we chatted and dined.  

Blogging Post Ideas I'm Thinking About

• What does 'privilege' mean?  How is it different from a right?  Are there factors that deserve 'privilege' or does it then become something other than a privilege?  When if privilege legitimate, when not?  How does the nature of the person/organization that grants privilege make a difference?  Lots to explore here.  I think because people have started using 'privilege' in new ways, so the original meaning is being distorted.  Does/should intelligence give one privilege?  Money?  Force?   If so, when and how?

• When does talking about ending democracy move from free speech rights to treason?  Does advocacy of taking way other people's rights a legitimate form of free speech?  If yes, are there any limits?  If no, why not?

• The Christian brand.  To my knowledge, there's no trademark or copyright protection for terms relating to Christianity*.  This has led to people with widely differing beliefs and behaviors claiming to be Christian.  I would argue that the Christian brand has been appropriated by various people and groups, whose words and actions are contrary to what 'true Christians' believe.  Think about the people in the United States who claim to be Christian - church leaders and followers, politicians, judges, business owners - who claim to be "Christian" yet behave in ways that are very different from commonly believed Christian values such as 

Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced, include:

• Love God.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Forgive others who have wronged you.
• Love your enemies.
• Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
• Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.
• Repentance of sins is essential.
• Don’t be hypocritical.
• Don’t judge others.
• The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful—but the weak and poor—who will inherit this kingdom.  (From History.com)

If there were a trademark for Christianity that was held by people whose behavior followed these beliefs, could sue people who claim to be Christians but who don't behave as Christians.   

*There is legal advice available for how and when Churches can get Trademark protection.  But would suing a Ted Cruz or a Mitch McConnell itself be a Christian thing to do?  Probably more so than telling your followers to vote for them.

• What is a reasonable amount of money for a redistricting board to spend?  Redistricting is mandated by the US Constitution (Sec 1, Art 2)  and by state constitutions (see, for example, Alaska Constitution Article 6).  But how much should it cost?  Does anyone care?  Who's keeping track?  What are the incentives to save or to spend?  

Alaska Redistricting Board Calculates District Gains and Losses - Precint By Precinct

I don't totally understand this yet, but I thought it important to get this email from the Alaska Redistricting Board up for people to see.  (If you sign up with the Board, they will send you updates like this.)

They got the initial data and the staff have been trying to organize it.  You can see all the districts here on the Board's website.

It should come as no surprise that Matsu has the biggest gains.   Here's District 1 in Fairbanks. The cooler colors represent losses of population.  The warmer colors gains.

Population Change

This table compares Alaska's 2010 to 2020 Census population count at the voting precinct level.
Click column heads to sort. Click again to reverse sort order. Monochrome

District	Prec.	Name	2010	2020	Diff	Change
District 1 ~ Fairbanks ~ Map: HD01-A.pdf
1 (A)	446	Aurora	2,995	3,108	113	+3.77%
1 (A)	475	Fairbanks No. 4	1,143	993	-150	-13.12%
1 (A)	485	Fairbanks No. 6	2,483	2,390	-93	-3.75%
1 (A)	470	Fairbanks No. 3	1,872	1,872	0	0.00%
1 (A)	465	Fairbanks No. 2	1,542	1,468	-74	-4.80%
1 (A)	455	Fairbanks No. 1	659	580	-79	-11.99%
1 (A)	490	Fairbanks No. 7	3,010	2,637	-373	-12.39%
1 (A)	480	Fairbanks No. 5	2,885	2,668	-217	-7.52%
1 (A)	495	Fairbanks No. 10	1,137	1,466	329	+28.94%
–– >	9 Ps	District: 1 Totals:	17,726	17,182	-544	-3.07%

"Good afternoon subscribers,

After many hours of data crunching, we have a couple of key reports available for your review. These are:  

1. A table of population changes from 2010 to 2020 at the house district precinct level. This shows how each of Alaska's 441 precincts increased or decreased in population over the last 10 years. District totals are also provided. Click table heads to sort, click again to reverse sort order. Warm colors are up, cool colors are down. Click Monochrome if coloration is not preferred.
   
2. A report of each house district's 2020 population compared to the new ideal district population of 18,335. (733,391 divided by 40). Click title heads to sort, click again to reverse sort order. Warm colors are high, cool colors are low. Click Monochrome if coloration is not preferred.
3. An Excel sheet with the data for your computing convenience. Click to download. Available formats are .xlsx and .xls

See: https://www.akredistrict.org/pop

Here's how we got to the numbers:

The Alaska Department of Labor imported the 2020 legacy-formatted Census data¹ into their demographic software and sent us Excel reports of Alaska's 2010 and 2020 population for all of Alaska's 441 voting precincts. This is the foundation of our population change table.

To verify the 2020 numbers, we did the same thing independently. We downloaded the 2020 legacy data and loaded the lines² which provide voting precinct counts into a relational database. We then overlayed the Department of Labor's 2020 precinct population numbers with ours.

Row-by-row, every precinct population matched exactly.

This is how a voting precinct total appears in the legacy-formatted Census data. (line 7,991, akgeo2020.pl)

To further validate our findings, next we totaled the precinct populations for each house district and compared these line-by-line with the house district summary population values contained elsewhere in the raw legacy data.³ 

Once again, every value matched exactly.

This is how a house district total appears in legacy-formatted Census data. (line 4,496, akgeo2020.pl)

On April 26, the Census reported that the total resident state population was 733,391. When we total all 441 of our individual voting precincts the result is: 733,391. When we total all of our 40 house districts the result is: 733,391.

After these and other validation exercises, we conclude that the reports published on our website today faithfully interpret the findings of the 2020 Census. Of course, we will re-verify these numbers again using the fixed DVD media we expect to officially receive from the Census Bureau on September 30.

Have a great evening,

Peter Torkelson

Executive Director

Alaska Redistricting Board

1 – You may download the legacy-formatted data here:

https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/Alaska/

2 – See lines 7,989 - 8,444 of the legacy-formatted file titled 'akgeo2020.pl'. The precinct name appears three columns to the left of the population value. There are more than 441 lines used to report precinct populations as some precincts are reported in multiple parts, one part on each line.

3 – See lines 4,495 - 4,534 of the legacy-formatted file titled 'akgeo2020.pl'. The district name appears three columns to the left of the population value."

Alaska Redistricting Board To Get Detailed Census Data August 12, 2021

 Here's the announcement from the Board's executive director:

". . . a quick note to let you know that we received notice a few minutes ago that the Census bureau will release legacy formatted redistricting data on Aug 12th at 9am Alaska time.

The previously published release date was August 16.

Our software vendor will need about a week to convert this legacy data into files that our map-drawing software can work with. We are working with the Department of Labor to get an early peek at the district population deviations and will advise you when these numbers are available for your review."

The State population arrived much earlier.  This is the detailed information needed to draw the district maps.  

I wrote about the public mapping software that will be available and the basic rule.    As the message says, it will take about a week for the data to be downloaded into the public map-drawing software.  I recommend getting familiar with the software.  This is like a free computer game with which you can help shape the Alaska legislature for the next ten years.  

Seriously.  If you can make demonstrably fairer maps - that is maps that meet the federal and state statutory requirements - than the Board makes, you could challenge their maps.  Minimally, you could share your maps with one of the interest groups that are following the process carefully.  This will include Municipalities, political parties, Native Corporations and non-profits, etc.  

You can go to the Board's website and start playing with the maps here (they have the data for the 2010 redistricting process loaded now.) I'm following my granddaughter's lead.  She just gets her mom's phone and tries out everything she can find until she figures out cool things she can do.  I'm trying to do that with the software.  

My understanding is that the Board has a month to prepare the first set of maps for public comment, so there should be a flurry of meetings soon.  There's no information yet about when that will start.  Not sure if it will take a week for Board's map-making software, or just for the public software.

Here's a screenshot.  I'm a little concerned about how easy this is going to be on my laptop.  We'll see.   So far it looks more like a toy, but let's see what I'll be able to do with it.  If there are mappers out there who want to work together on this, send me an email (upper right hand column) or leave comments.

GAMERS ALERT: Free Online Redistricting Mapping Software Let's You Help Shape Alaska's House And Senate Districts [Updated]

An email [it's copied below] for Alaska Redistricting Board update subscribers today says that they have worked out an agreement with Tufts University for maps making tools for the public to use.  [You can subscribe to the Board's updates here.]

The 2020 detailed census data are not out yet, but people can start practicing with the 2010 data now. Below is the email with a link to the software and two example maps.  

I haven't tried this yet because I wanted to get it out to people immediately.  For anyone interested in mapmaking or in politics, this is a must.  It's a good opportunity to get non-political tech people paired up with non-tech political people.  

I hope gamers see this as a real life game and that they can keep the Redistricting Board accountable by showing them that better maps (maps that meet all the Federal and State requirements more efficiently and equitably) can be made.  When there were challenges to the Redistricting Board's maps in the 2010 round, maps were submitted to the courts to show that better maps could be made.

As I looked at the example maps below I realized there are some requirements for valid districts that mappers need to know. Here's an early post from the 2010 Redistricting round that details some of the Federal and State requirements.  For instance, 

The Federal Constitutional Redistricting Principles are, briefly:

• A.  "One Person, One Vote". . ."legislative seats must be apportioned exclusively on the basis of population and the populations of the respective districts must be substantially equal."
• B.  "Districts of as nearly as equal size as practicable.  Maximum overall deviation of the no more than 10%, (i.e. plus or minus 5%)  Deviation is the measure of how much a district or plan varies from the ideal.  Good faith efforts to make deviations as small as practicable must be made. 

There are forty House seats.  Each has to be as close to equal as possible.  

The official 2020 total Alaska population which is  733,391 divided by 40 = 18,334.775.  

But it's impossible to have a fraction of people in every district, so it's necessary to have some deviance.  .  Ideally, each district deviates from 18,335 by less than 1% (That would be 183 people). 

But while mappers have to get all the districts equal, they also have requirements for compactness and for "relatively socio-economically integrated areas"   That's why some districts can deviate up to 10%, though that is discouraged.  Urban districts with lots of population should be under 1% deviation if possible.

So here's an enlargement of the first map below.  It's pointing to "percentage of deviation from the ideal"  That should make sense to you now, but let me repeat the details again.

Population Balance refers to the fact that every House district has to be as close to 1/40 (there are 40 house districts) of the official 2020 total Alaska population which is  733,391 divided by 40 = 18,335.  

I'm confused by the numbers in the red circle.  It says percentage, and 8.860 percent is under 10%.  But I don't know why it has a comma instead of a period.  I have an email into the Board to clarify that.  It could just be the way that software handles percentages.  I'll update this when I hear back. [UPDATE July 22, 2021:  Yes these are numbers and if I had read the note more carefully, I would have realized you need to hove the cursor over the numbers to get the percentage of deviation.]

Now, here's the email:

"Good morning subscribers,

Thanks for your continued interest in Alaska’s redistricting process. Census data for 2020 is expected in late August and the Board is looking forward to getting to work.  Drawing maps will be challenging and public feedback is an essential part of the process. 

 

One of the ways you can provide input is by sending the Board your map ideas. To facilitate this the Board is working with The Redistricting Lab at Tufts University to deploy a customized, web-based, publicly available map drawing tool.  This platform is available now for your beta testing at: 

https://www.akredistrict.org/create/

REMINDER: the data and blocks shown are from the 2010 Census; the 2020 data will be uploaded in late August – we’ll send out a notice at that time. Any maps you create until then will be based on 2010 population data and so are not appropriate for formal submission to the Board.

The web mapping tool uses a "paint brush" concept (for coloring) to shade in areas you wish to assign to a district, which are denoted by 40 individual colors.  This customized version allows painting at the Census block level, the most precise level of geography available and the same one which the Board will use to draw new legislative districts.

As you "paint" a district, the population will be dynamically totaled under the Population tab.  To assist you, under the Data Layers tab you'll find tools to overlay the state with existing legislative district boundaries, incorporated city limits, borough boundaries and school districts.

If you would like to view population distribution you may make selections to shade Census blocks with population density under Data Layers -> Demographics -> Population.

The system supports undo/redo, and allows you to "lock already drawn districts". This enables drawing perfectly adjoining districts by respecting blocks you have already colored into a previous district.

Use the Save/Update button to save your work, share plans with others (copy and send the URL) or submit directly through the website for Board consideration (once we have gone live with 2020 data, expected at the end of August).

Please take a little time to experiment with the tool so we can identify any bugs prior to our public launch. Your feedback would be appreciated; simply reply to this email.

Thanks,

Peter Torkelson

Executive Director

Alaska Redistricting Board 

P.S.  Here are a few tool tips to get you started:"   [Below are the two example maps that were at the end of the email.  You can enlarge them considerably by clicking on them.]

 

Redistricting Board Goes To Redistricting Seminar in Salt Lake City Next Week

I was tempted put the word 'junket' in the title, but I wasn't sure everyone would know that I was just joking.  This is a serious conference that the Board members and staff should attend.  Not only will they get more information about the latest ideas on redistricting (like how the recent US Supreme Court decision to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act might mean), but also to meet people from other states doing redistricting.   

The latest announcement from the Board:

"Alaska Redistricting Board Member Attendance at NCSL

A quorum of the Alaska Redistricting Board will attend the "Get Ready to Redistrict" seminar hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures in Salt Lake City Utah from Wednesday, July 14 through Friday, July 16 for educational purposes only.  No Board action will be taken.

What: Educational seminars, NCSL Redistricting Conference

Where: Downtown Marriott at City Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah

When: July 14 - July 16, 2021"

While this is NOT a board meeting where official action will be taken, all the Board Members, apparently, are going to Salt Lake City, so they are required to post an announcement.  It's one of those sticky areas.  Surely, they will have three or more members together talking about what they learned.  Maybe over lunch or dinner.  And those conversations should be available to the public by law.  

When legislators go to such conferences, only a few go to anyone single conference, so there's usually not a quorum.  Perhaps it would be useful for a Board member or the staff to do some unofficial minutes of any meetings of three or more members to let the public know what they're learning and how they think it affects what they'll be doing.  

The conference is put on by the NCSL (National Council of State Legislatures).  Their mission is:

"NCSL: Our Mission

NCSL, founded in 1975, represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S. Its mission is to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information among legislatures.

NCSL also represents legislatures in dealing with the federal government, especially in support of state sovereignty and state flexibility and protection from unfunded federal mandates and unwarranted federal preemption. The conference promotes cooperation between state legislatures in the U.S. and those in other countries.

In addition, NCSL is committed to improving the operations and management of state legislatures, and the effectiveness of legislators and legislative staff. NCSL also encourages the practice of high standards of conduct by legislators and legislative staff."

This organization has traditionally been bi-partisan, with the goal to promote effective and efficient practices in state legislatures.  I haven't kept track of them lately, but their values used to be (and probably still are) following the rule of law for the public interest.  

Highly partisan organizations, like ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), have tried to mimic the look of NCSL, but with a heavily partisan twist.  While NCSL offers states model legislation to neutrally (as I said above, to promote the rule of law and the public interest) ALEC offers model legislation that pushes the agenda of their sponsors, like the Kochs.

Here's the agenda for the conference next week. (You have to scroll down the page and then select the day you want.  This is pretty long, so you might consider reading these on the days they are happening.)

Wednesday, July 14

2-3:30 p.m.: Optional: Redistricting Basics

If this is your first redistricting cycle, join us for this session. Experienced legislative staff will provide a foundation on redistricting based on NCSL’s Redistricting Starter Kit.

3:45-5 p.m.: Option A: Race and Redistricting: Civil Rights Groups Speak

French fries and ketchup. Sunscreen and the beach. Redistricting and lawsuits. Three classic pairings. Hear from groups that represent minority communities in the U.S. on what they’re focused on this decade when it comes to redistricting. Who knows—maybe what we learn will forestall a lawsuit or two.

3:45-5 p.m.: Option B: Census Redistricting Data Program Evaluation | Primary Topic: "Geography"

In this session, census redistricting program liaisons and other users of census redistricting geographic data are invited to come talk through the strengths and weaknesses of the already completed geographic definition and delivery of geographic materials from the 2020 census. Feedback on the 2020 redistricting data program's geographic operations will be used in the formulation of the 2030 census redistricting data program. Feedback is also welcome on other aspects of the program.

5-7 p.m.: Welcome Reception

Thursday, July 15

6:45 a.m.: Optional Morning Run

Studies show exercise improves brain functionality. This run, though, is all about going slow and being social.

7 a.m.-3 p.m.: Registration

7:30-8:45 a.m.: Breakfast and Welcome

Eat first, then at 8:15 a.m. we’ll welcome everyone and review what's ahead

9-10:15 a.m.: The Census

Option A: Census and Data for Beginners

Are you a non-data expert working on redistricting? This session is for you. Learn what data the census will be released, a bit about how it can be used and an introduction to other types of data used in redistricting so you and your data colleagues can communicate effectively with each other.

Option B: Census and Data for Experts

In this advanced session, we’ll cover differential privacy (and if it makes a difference), working with race and ethnicity data, how election turnout impacts the accuracy of political data, and the use of party registration as a data layer. Warning: nerding out likely.

10:30-11:45 a.m.: Take Your Pick

Option A: Meet with Your Redistricting Software Experts

Your state has probably chosen its redistricting software by now. Here’s your chance to meet your software vendor, discuss its features and pick up tips. These sessions will be run by the vendors themselves, not by NCSL.

Option B: Short Takes on Three Key Issues

Gain insight into three issues that are easy to overlook: local redistricting (yes, it’s required by law); the “hand off” of redistricting data to election officials so they can prepare for next year’s primaries; and why some states are adopting inmate data reallocation laws.

Noon-12:45 p.m.: Lunch

1-2:15 p.m.: Choose Your Own Adventure

Option A: Balancing Conflicting Criteria

Criteria (or principles) are the rules of the road in redistricting, and they vary by state. Sometimes, though, they pull in opposite directions and it’s hard to comply with them all. Hear veterans of the redistricting process explain how to strike a balance between potentially irreconcilable mandates.

Option B: Data Details

What can redistricters learn from data sources beyond the census? For instance, in redistricting, what does voter registration provide and how does it differ state to state? Does it matter whether votes were cast by mail, in-person on Election Day or during an early in-person voting period? How does party enrollment data inform decision-making? Is there a way to know just how independent the non-D and non-R voters are? What’s turnout got to do with it? Dig deep with data experts.

2:30-3:45 p.m.: Redistricting Litigation in the 2020s

Redistricting litigation for the 2010 cycle didn’t end until 2019. Will the coming cycle be just as intense? Hear nationally recognized litigators discuss the current state of the law, new trends to watch in the 2020s, and possibly make predictions for the future.

4-5:15 p.m.: Threading the Needle: The Voting Rights Act and Racial Gerrymandering

Two federal requirements governing redistricting involve race. The Voting Rights Act directs states to ensure that certain minority groups have the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, whereas the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits race from predominating during redistricting decision-making. Confusing, right? Listen as two expert litigators parse the nuances created by the U.S. Supreme Court and how states can walk the legal compliance line.

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Connecting With Your Peers

Option A: Republicans

This is an ancillary session run by Republicans, for Republicans. For more information, contact Kylie Bongaart.

Note: This is not an NCSL-sponsored session.

Option B: Democrats

This is an ancillary session run by Democrats, for Democrats. For more information, contact Jeff Wice.

Note: This is not an NCSL-sponsored session.

Option C: Nonpartisan Staff Reception

If you’re a legislative staffer and don’t belong at the partisan sessions, get to know your colleagues from around the nation.

Evening on your own

Friday, July 16

7 a.m.: Optional: Walking Tour

See the sites with Brian Bean, a staffer with the Utah Senate. Meet in the lobby.

7:30-8:45 a.m.: Breakfast

Eat first—then at 8 a.m., choose which break out session at attend.

8-9:15 a.m.: Getting Along

Option A: Lowering the Temperature When Legislatures Redistrict

If you read the press, redistricting boils down to just one thing: power. Is that really true? Bring your breakfast to hear from legislators who have threaded their way through the trials and tribulations of legislative infighting.

Option B: Working With Your Commission

In states where commissions have primary responsibility for redistricting, what’s the legislature’s role? Bring your breakfast and hear from former commissioners and legislators who worked with commissions to find out how colleagues in prior decades stayed engaged while respecting the legal division between line-drawers and policymakers.

9:30-10:45 a.m.: Unseen Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

You don’t know what you don’t know. Fortunately, there are people who have done redistricting who DO know what you don’t know. Attend this session to learn from attorneys the pitfalls that can trip up the best-planned redistricting process—so you can avoid their mistakes.

11 a.m.-Noon: Legislative Privilege and Transparency

Legislative privilege is a critical part of the lawmaking process. Without it, policymakers wouldn’t be free to ask candid questions and talk openly with their staff. And yet, in this cycle “transparency” is being heralded. Learn the nuances of this area of the law so you can better understand what will happen when you end up in court over redistricting.

12:15-1:30 p.m.: What Court Will Look Like (and Box Lunch)

Odds are, you’ll be sued over redistricting. What will that lawsuit look like? This panel of litigants, litigators and a judge will walk you through the life of a redistricting lawsuit so you have an idea of what may happen if your maps end up in court. Bring in your box lunch.

1:30-2 p.m.: Ask Us Anything

Faculty will answer anything anyone cares to ask so we leave the Beehive State with exactly the information you need for the redistricting work about to begin.

3-4 p.m.: Optional: Tour of Utah State Capitol 

Will The Real Justin Levitt Please Stand Up

 On the tv show To Tell The Truth, there were three contestants who all said they were the same person and a panel of four asked them questions to determine which one was the real, in this case, Justin Levitt.  When the questions were done, the host would say, "Will the real [Justin Levitt] please stand up."

I discovered Justin Levitt ten years ago when I was blogging the Alaska Redistricting Board.  Levitt is a voting rights expert from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.  I've been following him on Twitter.  So I sent him a direct message when I found out who the Redistricting Board's Voting Rights Act consultant was.  Did he know him?  Was he a good choice?  I didn't get a response right away.  In the meantime I read the whole winning proposal and saw that Justin Levitt was one of the experts listed on the proposal.  So, I direct messaged Levitt again saying that I saw he was on the proposal and so I understood why he hadn't responded.  

Then he did respond. There were two Justin Levitts, and yes he was the one at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and no, he wasn't part of the winning proposal.  

Justin Levitt - LMU and White House

Instead, it turns out, according to his university profile, 

"As of April 8, 2021, Professor Levitt is on leave from Loyola, serving as the White House Senior Policy Advisor for Democracy and Voting Rights."  

And he does have a website called All About Redistricting. 

Justin Levitt -National Demographics
Corporation

Meanwhile, there's another Justin Levitt who is also an expert on redistricting.  He's  the Vice President of the National Demographics Corporation and got his PhD in political science at  UC San Diego.  The dissertation is titled, "“Beyond the Circle: Geographic Constraints on Tradeoffs in Redistricting.”

This is the Justin Levitt who is listed on the winning Voting Rights Act proposal.

So, the Justin Levitt I'm familiar with and whose redistricting page I've visited and whom I follow on Twitter, is NOT the Justin Levitt who will be part of the Voting Rights Act consultant's team.  

But I couldn't help but recall the old tv show To Tell The Truth, so here's the episode of To Tell The Truth Bruce Adelson of Federal Voting Rights Consulting ... July 3, 1961 - 60 years ago this week.  One of the panelists is a very young Johnny Carson.  And the first guest was the fireworks director at the Los Angeles Coliseum. 

But in our case, there actually are two Justin Levitts who both work in the field of voting rights and redistricting.  The Levitt I contacted did say that they have met.  It's probably fairly common to have to people working in the same profession, but in this case the name is not too common and the field is pretty specialized.  

It seems to me To Tell The Truth could have up their game by having three contestants who all had the same name.  

Want An Inside Look At Alaska's Redistricting? They're Hiring An Administrative Assistant

From the email:

"Good morning subscribers -- a note to let you know that the Board is seeking professional administrative help for the coming map drawing cycle.

 

The applicant must work well under pressure and be able to quickly shift from various administrative tasks including reception, travel arrangements, correspondence, and document preparation.

 

The job listing is here –>

Peter Torkelson
Executive Director
Alaska Redistricting Board"

and from the link:

"Job Search ResultsJob Title Job TypeSalary Closing Posted DepartmentLocationCategory

Administrative Assistant

Seasonal$1,873.50 - $2,477.25 Biweekly

07/16/21 06/24/21

Legislative AffairsAnchorage, 

AKAdministrative Assistant"

Redistricting Board Meets To Learn Mapping Software

 I stopped by the Legislative Information Office in Anchorage yesterday (Tuesday) to see part of the 2nd day of training.  This is what the whole room looked like when I came in to sit down.  The only other spectator turned out to be the son of the trainer.  But I heard that several people were there Monday. 

The Board members are up front.  To the left are the Board's two attorneys, to the right are the staff.  With his back to us is the consultant who flew up to do the training.  He and his son ended up sleeping Sunday night on the floor at SEATAC because a bunch of flights were cancelled due to the weather.  [All the photos open larger and sharper if you click on them]

To the left are Board members Melanie Bahnke and Nicole Borromeo.  (Brief bios of all the Board members are here.)

On this side we see (left to right) Board chair John Binkley and members Bethany Marcum and Budd Simpson.  

Attorneys Lee Baxter and lead attorney Matt Singer.   This was the only shot I took of the two and Singer was actually sitting up attentively most of the time.  

And here's Eric Sandberg and Peter Torkelson, executive director.  The previous post was about my meeting with Peter and TJ last week.  TJ was out picking up sweets for the Board when I got there.  Eric was a Dept. of Labor computer guy who was a technical expert for the previous board and my understanding is they have a similar arrangement this year.  Eric was the go-to guy for all the technical problems.  

The meeting turned out not quite as boring as I expected.  Well, first, I stayed less than an hour, and second, Peter invited me to play with the software on his computer.  Although this was an official meeting because more than two Board members were meeting (and so it was posted ahead of time and people could attend or call in), it was really a training session and much more informal.  Nicole Borromeo at one point asked me who I was taking pictures for (all the meetings ten years ago, there were never any audience members addressed or allowed to speak.)  When I told her, the Chair welcomed me.  (We had communicated by email a few times.)  Monday was, as I understand it, the first time the Board members had all been together and met each other in person.  

I looked up "autoBound EDGE" the software they're using.  

and got this brief description here.

You can see this better if you click on it or go to the website

One of the attorneys told me they are working to have software available for the public to use when the census data arrives in August so people can experiment and make their own maps.  I think that's important for two reasons:  1) it helps people understand how complicated it is to divide the state into 40 districts with equal population and meeting the federal and state requirements for compactness, social/economic integrity, and contiguity, among a few other parameters.  

My brief introduction to the software told me its complicated (there are lots of options for what maps you look at (blocks, tracts, districts, and subdivisions of each of those and lots of options to use different tools to add area into a district or take it out, etc.)  The most complex software I use regularly is Photoshop and I've taken university level classes on it and I only use a small fraction of what it's capable of.  This seems to have the same level of depth and breadth.  

This webpage gives some visual examples of some of the layers the Board will be using and it also says there's a version for citizens to use.  Let's see.  I'll keep prodding the Board to get the software available to the public before the data arrives so that people can start learning how to use it.

There are online videos for how to work this software and it's available to the public.  Though I'm not sure that when we get to the free software for the public, that it will be the same software the Board will be using.  And I haven't found that page yet.  

But I hope that there are lots of folks out there who might think about the mapping of Alaska's legislative districts and a challenging game and jump in.  

Went To My First Indoor Meeting - At The Redistricting Board

I'm slowly moving out into a more normal life.  Wednesday I met with the Alaska Redistricting Board Executive  Director, Peter Torkelson, and the Deputy Director, TJ Presley. 

 Here's some of what we talked about.

1.  This is a waiting period.  The total number of Alaskans as of the 2020 census has come in.  While the actual number is constantly changing, this is the number that will be used:   733,391.  That means each district needs to be as close to 18,335 people as possible.

18,335 comes from dividing 733,391 by 40, the number of Alaska House seats. There are 20 Senate seats, each made up of two House seats. So Senate districts will be just about 36,670.  

But the detailed numbers for each census tract are NOT yet available.  Last time (2011) they came March 15.  But because of the pandemic and other counting issues, it's taking longer this time.  So the staff has some time as they await the data which is due maybe mid-August to beginning of September.   

2.  What they're doing while waiting for the Census numbers to come in?   jjj

The two have been giving presentations to city councils around the state recently.  Generally it's Peter or TJ. If a Board member is in the area they might drop by.  They've been to Ketchikan, Kodiak, Barrow, Bethel, Soldotna and Valdez, and to Homer and Seward by zoom.  A couple of places said they weren't interested in a presentation.  Below is a copy of the slides they've been using.  Remember that when they give the presentation they can talk and explain what this all means.  But much of it is probably self explanatory.  If you have question,  contact the redistricting board staff.

Redistricting Introduction 6-16-21 by Steve on Scribd

An Anchorage presentation is set for June 25 - whoops, guess I missed it.  But I think the Botanical Garden was a better choice anyway today.  The Juneau presentation is set for August 9.  

They've also been keeping up on redistricting news and technology and trying to make sure this round of redistricting goes as smoothly as possible.  

3.  Mapping Software Training - Monday - Wednesday June 28, 29, 30 at the LIO (Legislative Information Office).  The public is invited to attend and watch.  There won't be opportunities to use the software.  There's nothing more boring than watching other people get software instruction when you don't have access to a computer with that software.  However, the board is looking for other software that the public can use to make their own maps.  They believe that if people can work with the actual data to make their own maps, they will have a better idea of the difficulties of trying to get 40 districts with 18,335 people that meet the other constitutional requirements of compactness, contiguity, and socio-economic integrity. (These are terms from the Alaska State Constitution.) There's more detail on this in a post from the previous redistricting board here.  That post looks at Federal and State requirements.  Scroll down for the State requirements.  

Where:

  -  Anchorage Legislative Information Office

  -  1500 W Benson Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99503

  -  Denali Conference Room, 1st floor

When:

  -  Monday, June 28 from 10am - Noon and 1:30 - 3:30pm (approximate)

  -  Tuesday, June 29 from 9:30am - Noon and 1:30 - 3:30pm (approximate)

  -  Wednesday, June 30 from 9:30am - Noon and 1:30 - 3:30pm (approximate)

There's more information on my Redistricting Board tab on top, or click here.  It includes phone numbers to call in and I think you can watch it remotely - that's why it's in the LIO.

4. Testing the fairness of the maps the Board makes.

We also talked about the Voting Rights Act consultant the Board chose.  It seems that Michigan will use him too and the Republicans there are steamed.  But given Michigan Republicans - remember they did a practice takeover of their capitol well before January 6 - that's probably a good sign.  I mentioned that the VRA consultant is less important now that Alaska isn't required to get preclearance before deciding on their maps.  But Peter and TJ disagreed, echoing one of the consultant candidates (they said), that Section 2 of the VRA still applies and requires that minority districts not be diminished.  

We also talked about the impact of Ranked Choice Voting - since one of the VRA applicants mentioned they had someone who could analyze that.  But there seems to be conflicting opinion on how that will affect minority voting.  

They also mentioned that the Board isn't going to have political parties in the data so that they can't be accused of using it to manipulate the districts, though we all agreed that Alaska is small enough that lots of people have a sense of neighborhoods that are particularly partisan.  

Also, they've agreed, as I understood it, not to have a policy of protecting incumbents.  

5.  Location of Alaska Redistricting Board Office

 The Board's Office is in the University Mall, Room 141.  This is the far south hallway.  The DMV is on the east end.  Didn't know there was a DMV there?  Neither did I.  It's where the UAA offices used to be.  Which were where the University theaters used to be.  

The office space is sort of open concept.  The previous Board  had offices in the Sunshine Mall.  I think they were smaller, but better configured.  Maybe that even had some walls moved around.  I don't know.  

Here's looking down the hall to the DMV.  You get in through the South entrance to the mall.  

AK Redistricting Board Chooses U of Pittsburg Law Professor Bruce Adelson To Be Voting Rights Act Consultant To The Board

The Voting Rights Act required Alaska and 15 other states to get pre-clearance from the  Department of Justice before their maps are adopted.  These are all states that had a record of racial bias in their elections.  The pre-clearance requirement was struck down by the US Supreme Court in the middle of redistricting last time, but the Board had already taken that into consideration in their maps.  

Adelson image from U of Pittsburgh

Here's the announcement the Redistricting Board sent out today:

We are pleased to announce that the Alaska Redistricting Board executed a contract yesterday for Voting Rights Act Consultancy with Federal Compliance Consulting led by seasoned VRA expert Bruce Adelson who will be assisted by Dr. Jonathon Katz and Dr. Douglas Johnson.

Mr. Adelson has extensive experience consulting with state and local governments on Federal VRA issues.  In the 2011 cycle Bruce provided Voting Rights Act expertise to the Alaska Division of Elections.

On initial look at the proposal and a quick look online, Mr. Adelson seems very well qualified.  

The other two applicants were Lisa Handley, who was chosen by the previous two Alaska Redistricting Boards for this task, and Christian Grose.  Handley's proposal includes an expert who would also look at the potential impact of Alaska's Ranked Choice Voting on the fairness of the new maps.  

I'm posting Adelson's proposal and the other two applicants below.

Bruce Adelson of Federal Voting Rights Consulting LLC Winning Proposal To Alaska Redistricting Board by Steve on Scribd

Lisa Handley Proposal for Voting Rights Act by Steve on Scribd

Christian Grose Proposal to Alaska Redistricting Board for Voting Rights Act Consultant by Steve on Scribd