By the time my fellow Leaguers read this we may have more clarity on whether the Kansas Legislature will meet in Special Session to further gerrymander our congressional districts. What we know today, October 17, is that Kansas legislative majority leaders are pushing members to sign a petition calling for a Special Session to draw new maps. The impetus for this comes from the White House, not from our fellow Kansans. Let me remind you here at the top, and unambiguously, as a nonpartisan organization, partisan gerrymandering is just not the League way!
We oppose mid-cycle redistricting because new congressional maps should only be redrawn every 10 years as necessitated by population changes and should always put communities before partisan advantage. It is worth remembering that the purpose of redistricting is to rebalance the population of districts to achieve the one-person-one-vote goal. The US Census which is used to determine the population of congressional districts is conducted only once every ten years. Absent that official census showing a population change, there is no nonpartisan basis on which to make changes to districts.
LWVTSC is taking action by joining the LWVK and other organizations in the voting rights space as part of the KSFairMaps coalition to educate and encourage the public to let their elected leaders know that partisan gerrymandering is not acceptable, and by educating voters so they are prepared to cast well-considered votes in 2026. Through KsFairMaps the League will monitor the process if the Kansas Legislature decides that it should choose who will be represented – instead of letting voters choose who will represent them.
Recognizing that ‘just saying no’ is not enough in the face of pressure from the White House, on August 26, 2025, before our neighbors in Missouri were subjected to a new congressional map imposed from the top down, the CEO and the president of the League of Women Voters of the US, released a statement in announcing guidance on drawing mid-cycle maps that protect historically disenfranchised communities:
“The League of Women Voters opposes mid-cycle redistricting because it can easily be used to disenfranchise voters based on race or party affiliation. Today, we face uncharted territory as an unpopular, authoritarian President exploits racial division and seeks to silence voters in a shameless bid for power.
While we oppose mid-cycle redistricting, it’s happening now in states across the country. As Texas approves new maps, the League remains steadfast that any redistricting process must include people’s voices.”
Let your legislators know you do not want new congressional maps. Check back on LWVTSC.org, KsFairMaps.org, and the League’s Facebook page for updates about opportunities to make your voice heard.
To close, let me quote again from the August statement from the US League, “The League is holding true to our longstanding values. We will always remain nonpartisan in the fight to preserve our democracy, which requires diverse perspectives and is made stronger by including everyone. We will always defend voters, protect communities, and safeguard the integrity of our democracy.”
This post was authored by Mary Galligan, Treasurer, LWVTSC Board of Directors
