1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing as a Florida voter to state my strong opposition to any mid-census (mid-decade) redistricting of congressional or state legislative districts, except when narrowly required to comply with a specific court order. Florida’s Fair Districts amendments to our Constitution make clear that districts may not be drawn to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent, must protect the ability of racial and language minorities to elect representatives of their choice, and must be contiguous, compact, and respectful of existing boundaries. Mid-census redistricting, undertaken without new census data, almost inevitably looks like an attempt to gain partisan advantage or protect incumbents — the very behavior our Constitution was amended to prevent. Our Constitution also clearly contemplates a decennial, census-based redistricting schedule. Redoing maps between censuses, driven by politics rather than population change, undermines the “one person, one vote” principle and turns redistricting into a recurring partisan weapon instead of a periodic, data-driven adjustment. Frequent map changes also erode public trust. Florida has already seen intense conflict over maps that shifted representation and raised concerns about minority vote dilution. Another round of mid-cycle redistricting will deepen the perception that politicians are choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. Practically, mid-census redistricting imposes real costs. It creates confusion for voters about who represents them, burdens election officials with repeated changes to precincts and materials, and wastes taxpayer money on consultants and litigation. Those resources and attention are badly needed for Florida’s real challenges: storms, insurance, infrastructure, education, health care, and the environment. For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to: 1. Oppose any mid-census redistricting not strictly required by a court order; and 2. Publicly commit to honoring the letter and spirit of the Fair Districts Amendments and the decennial redistricting framework. Floridians deserve stable, fair, voter-driven maps, not constantly shifting lines drawn for partisan gain.