Join us for a community conversation on redistricting and fair maps with the League of Women Voters in Delaware. This Community Conversation is being presented free for social workers, their clients, and the general public. It is not CEU eligible.
Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process by the people in political power to keep political power. It protects incumbents and those who are already in positions of power. When politicians draw maps without public input, they can draw maps that serve their own interests instead of meeting the needs of the communities they are supposed to represent. This leads to unfair maps, where certain voters and communities are less represented and are unable to hold elected officials accountable.
As part of the NASW Code of Ethics, Social Workers need to challenge social injustice, particularly on behalf of the populations we serve. Therefore, this session would describe what gerrymandering is and the harm it causes communities (particularly communities of interest, e.g., color, low socioeconomic status, etc. and exacerbating key issues (e.g., voting rights, gun violence, health care access, food insecurity, etc.)) and describe the actions asked of NASW-DE members.
Today, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are currently controlled by Democrats. Single-party control over redistricting increases the risk of partisan gerrymandering. Therefore, NASW-DE members will be asked to sign the DE Common Cause pledge, contact their elected officials, and communicate this message to the communities they serve. The goal is to ensure that when the DE General Assembly creates new electoral maps (based on 2020 Census Data) they accurately represent Delaware’s population to ensure that the voters pick their elected officials not elected officials pick their voters.
