TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 A coalition of Florida voting rights organizations and voters — including Northeast Florida advocates — headed to Tallahassee on Thursday to oppose redistricting talks.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s Republican-controlled House is holding the first meeting of its select committee on congressional redistricting Thursday, as the state becomes the latest to consider redrawing electoral maps amid a partisan battle for every edge in next year\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Community leaders and impacted Floridians planned to share their opposition to the effort during public comment.<\/p>\n
A poll<\/a> from Common Cause shows Floridians across political affiliations reject mid-decade redistricting, with 55% of voters opposing the move, including a plurality of Trump voters. <\/p>\n Unified Nassau Florida and local Black voting rights advocates will join in the protest with members of the Florida League of Women Voters, Common Cause Florida, the ACLU of Florida, Equal Ground, Florida Rising, Latinx organizations, Florida Rising Together, Equality Florida, Indivisible, Florida For All, Black Voters Matter and Voices for Florida. <\/p>\n The national wave of redistricting efforts was instigated by President Donald Trump<\/a>, who hopes to buck the historical trend of the president\u2019s party losing seats in midterms, and his allies are wagering that his adopted home state could yield three to five more seats for Republicans. <\/p>\n Each seat is crucial, because Democrats need a net gain of just three to control the chamber.<\/p>\n But the push for redistricting faces major challenges in Florida due to bitter infighting<\/a> between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and leaders in the GOP-dominated Legislature, along with a provision in the state Constitution that explicitly bars redrawing maps with the intent to \u201cfavor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.\u201d<\/p>\n