8/9/2019 Protecting Minority Voting Rights & Moving Closer
To Political Equality
1/2
VOTING RIGHTS & REDISTRICTING TRAINING INSTITUTEPROTECTING
MINORITY VOTING RIGHTS
& MOVING CLOSER TO POLITICAL EQUALITY
AIRLIE CONERENCE CENTER
Warrenton, VA
October 8-9, 2010
This program will serve as the premier training opportunity or
the lawyers, advo-
cates, academics and others who will be involved in the
redistricting eforts that will
ollow the release o the 2010 Census. Panelists will provide
training on the role o
the Voting Rights Act in redistricting, the importance o
recognizing diversity in the
context o redistricting and strategies or saeguarding minority
voting rights.
8/9/2019 Protecting Minority Voting Rights & Moving Closer
To Political Equality
2/2
Saturday, OctOber 9, 2010
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act& RedistrictingTis panel
will provide an overview o Section 2 o theVoting Rights Act, and
discuss its success both as a toolor greatly expanding minority
political participation andrepresentation and or protecting
minority voting rightsin the redistricting process. Tis panel will
also outline
strategies, rom a practitioners perspective, or
bringingsuccessul Section 2 cases and identiy the types o
evidencethat must be marshaled to build a successul Section 2
case.Finally, this panel will provide a brie overview o
SupremeCourts key Section 2 cases.
Role of the Section 5 PreclearanceProvision During
RedistrictingTis panel will provide an overview o the Section
5preclearance provision o the Voting Rights Act and discussits
important role during redistricting. Te panel will lookclosely at
the Department o Justices Section 5 preclearance
process and examine changes made to Section 5 duringthe course o
the past decade. Te panel will al so providea discussion o key
Section 5 voting rights cases and alsoprovide an overview o the
bailout provision o the Act.
Developing Effective AdvocacyStrategies & Fostering Active
CommunityParticipation in the Legislative ProcessCommunity input
plays a key role during the redistrictingprocess. Tis panel will
ocus on the critical role thatadvocates and leaders can play during
the redistrictingprocess and identiy strategies to enable and
empowercommunities to inuence the process. Te panel will
alsodiscuss how to raise minority vote dilution and communityo
interest concerns in a way that preserves a record
odiscrimination.
Concurrent SessionsConerence attendees have the opportunity to
choosbetween 3 concurrent small-group sessions. Group 1oers a
hands-on introduction into redistricting sottechnology. Attendees
will also be given the opportuto handle an actual redistricting
exercise or a hypothjurisdiction. Group 2 will ocus on the unique
challeaced by minority language voters in the redistrictingprocess.
Group 3 will provide an overview o the wo
o redistricting experts, describe what expert resourcare
available to legislators, community advocates andlawyers, and
provide a closer look at the methods usexperts in analyzing
districting plans, including methor measuring racially polarized
voting such as ecoloinerence.
Litigation Strategies: EnsuringProtection of Minority Voting
RightsIn some instances, communities may need to turn tocourts to
deend and protect minority voting rights dthe redistricting cycle.
Tis panel will consider the co
and benefts o such litigation, while outlining stratebringing
successul suits. Special attention will be givredistricting plans
that crack cohesive groups o mvoters or unnecessarily pack minority
voters into smnumbers o districts.
For more informationor to register, please contact
[email protected] credit available.
Friday, OctOber 8, 2010
Race, Reform andIndependent Redistricting CommissionsIn recent
years, there have been eorts to push independentredistricting
commissions and other redistricting reormsat the state and ederal
levels. Questions remain aboutwhether these reorms place minority
voters in a morevulnerable position and provide adequate protection
or the
interests o minority voters. Te costs and benefts o thesereorm
proposals will be weighed. An overview on wherestates stand on the
issues will be provided. An analysiso proposals to address the
census miscount o prisonpopulations will also be addressed.
Keynote: Drawing DemocracyTe central role that the Voting Rights
Act has playedin saeguarding minority voting rights during
previousredistricting cycles is undeniable. Our special invited
lecturerwill speak to the new challenges that we ace during
theupcoming round o redistricting. Te speaker will consider
the importance o recognizing diversity in the context
oredistricting and the need or eective coalition building.Te
speaker will also outline strategies or continuing to usethe Voting
Rights Act as a tool to saeguard minority votingrights in the
current political climate.
Nuts & Bolts:The Redistricting Process from aMinority Voting
Rights PerspectiveTis panel will provide a general overview o the
redistrictingprocess ocusing on logistics, timelines and the
legalprinciples that govern redistricting. Te panel will
alsoaddress technical issues such as the release o the
Censusredistricting data fle; anticipated data challenges; the
impacto potential demographic shits, and a basic description othe
sotware tools available in preparing redistricting plans.Legal
topics covered will include the one person, one voterequirement and
state redistricting principles.
National Ofce
99 Hudson Street, Suite 1600
New York, NY 10013
212.965.2200
Washington, DC Ofce
99 Hudson Street, Suite 1600
New York, NY 10013
202.682.1300
NAACP Legal Deense and Educational Fund
www.naacpld.org
