Here’s our guide to using free online software to draw your own political district maps with DISTRICTR and DAVE’S REDISTRICTING.
Both programs feature sophisticated GIS (geographic information system) mapping tools with embedded data on voting precinct boundaries, ethnic demography from the Census and American Community Survey and political demography from recent national elections.
These powerful, democratizing tools allow you to draw and submit your own plans to government redistricting authorities. You can also use them to re-create the maps your legislators draw and oversee how they’re breaking up ethnic communities and partisan voters.
In the last redistricting cycle, our lawmakers used tools like these to draw the most highly gerrymandered districts in history. In the coming redistricting cycle, these tools will be in your hands.