Washington, D.C. –  Following the Washington State Redistricting Commission’s failure to submit maps by the statutory deadline of midnight on November 15th, 2021, National Democratic Redistricting Committee President Kelly Burton is calling on the court to give voters a new redistricting process that is transparent from start to finish.

“The Washington State Redistricting Commission was unable to finalize new maps by the legally required deadline. The law clearly dictates that the redistricting process is now in the hands of the Washington Supreme Court, which is charged with producing new maps by April 30,” said Burton.  

“Given the concerns that have been raised about the commission process, we call on the Court to give Washington voters a full redistricting process that is transparent from start to finish, and prioritizes new public engagement in addition to the public input accumulated during the commission process,” continued Burton. 

“At their best, independent redistricting commissions allow for an open, citizen-led process resulting in fair maps that will serve voters for the next ten years. However, not all commissions are built the same, and success is not guaranteed. Washington voters deserved a fair, responsive process that prioritized public engagement and yielded maps that reflect the state. Instead, the commissioners consistently left their voters in the dark and held closed-door meetings without regard to public accountability. The political future of Washington is on the line, and voters need leaders who will do the hard work of drawing fair maps for the decade,” added Burton. 

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