Web site lets residents view proposed redistricting maps Site aims to increase public participationAssociated Press. July 15, 2001.Originally appeared at http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/sunday/local_news_b3150364a433b0ab00ba.html. It will be politics as usual when the Georgia Legislature meets next month to draw new election districts, but now there's an easy way for voters to see what the lawmakers are up to. For the first time, anyone with access to a computer and an Internet connection can log onto a state site and take a look at how lawmakers are proposing to carve the state into new legislative and congressional districts. The digitized maps are interactive, allowing viewers to shrink or enlarge the images, focus on specific areas and generate demographic reports about them. In earlier redistricting sessions, the introduction of each new map triggered a mad dash among legislators, lobbyists, reporters and others to grab a printed copy. There was no quick way for those away from the Capitol to obtain one. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor said he hopes the site will promote greater public participation and help educate voters. "The most disappointing thing about the reapportionment process is the confusion that it causes among voters who find themselves in a new state House, state Senate or congressional district," he said. "Trying to get information to the people has been a challenge." The site is managed by the University of Georgia, which also operates the legislative redistricting office where numbers are crunched and maps are drawn for lawmakers. In theory, maps can be displayed on the site the instant they are introduced, although in practice it has taken as much as an hour for maps currently before the legislative committees to reach the Web. Betty Brewer, a University of Georgia program specialist, said the site allows users the freedom to see whatever map features they wish. "If there is a particular area you are interested in, you can zoom in down to the point of street level. When you zoom in close enough for streets to be legible, their names appear also," she said. "As you zoom in, there are more choices of things to be displayed." Brewer said she has no fear that the site will be overwhelmed during the redistricting session, which begins Aug. 1. |
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