As the map-drawing process kicks into a higher gear in Florida and states across the country, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder, is calling on Florida legislators to listen to community input during the redistricting process.

In an interview this week with the Miami Herald, former Attorney General Eric Holder highlighted the importance of community input in Florida’s redistricting process to ensure fair and transparent maps by stating, “You just can’t get that from just looking at a map, you’ve got to really interact with people and get a sense of what the interests are of people, what the concerns are…”

The Herald cited the NDRC’s efforts to watch the process closely by “hiring a Florida director to focus on monitoring the process and getting people to realize the role competitive districts have on policy.”

At a time when public hearings are happening all throughout the country, the Republican-led state legislature has left Floridians in the dark about who will draft new maps and how they will have a voice in the process. At this point during the last redistricting cycle, public hearings were well underway. It’s concerning that legislators have offered zero guidance for this decade’s process.

Conversely, NDRC, its affiliates, and on the ground groups have been working tirelessly to engage and educate Floridians about the redistricting process to ensure it anchors around following the Fair Districts Amendments so that fair maps can allow voters to choose their representatives and hold them accountable at the ballot box.

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