FAQs
What is All On The Line?
All On The Line is a national campaign to restore fairness to our democracy and ensure every American has an equal say in our government. This campaign is driven by grassroots organizers who want to make a lasting impact. The All On The Line campaign fights against gerrymandering and pushes for fair maps in redistricting.
What is redistricting and why does it matter?
Every 10 years, America conducts a national Census. That population data enables states to understand the population shifts that have occurred throughout the decade and then determines how many seats each state is allocated in the U.S. House of Representatives. Following the Census, states are required to redraw their congressional, state legislative, and other district boundaries to ensure an equal, proportional distribution of people in each district. That process is called redistricting.
What is gerrymandering and why is it bad for democracy?
Redistricting is the process of updating district lines to reflect changing populations. Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing those lines in a way that benefits one particular group, political party or elected official(s). A gerrymandered state means the district lines are drawn to enable one party to win fewer votes statewide, but still control more seats in government. Gerrymandering is often most detrimental to communities who have historically been marginalized — including minority communities — by either packing similar voters into a single district or splitting them into many districts to dilute their influence. States have to redistrict; they do not have to gerrymander.
Who draws the lines?
The process of who draws the lines varies from state to state. In many states, the state legislature draws the map and the governor can sign or veto their decisions. Other states have independent redistricting commissions to help remove partisan politics from the process. The rules for how these commissions are formed and managed also differ according to each state.
All On The Line aims to help decode this process so that the public is empowered to have a say in the process.
Who decides how many U.S. House districts a state gets?
The census plays a pivotal role in reapportionment – the process by which states gain or lose seats in Congress. The census is intended to count all persons in the United States, and it is under this criteria that Congressional districts are reapportioned to each state depending on its overall participation.
How can I get involved?
You can start by joining our movement here. We’ll be in touch with various volunteer opportunities – from joining events and trainings to reaching out to your elected officials or texting your neighbors. The All On The Line team will have a role for every person concerned about the future of our democracy and who wants to help make our maps more fair.
Will you provide trainings or webinars?
Yes! A lot goes into understanding redistricting; All On The Line wants to demystify this process for everyone, and we want as many people as possible to be involved in making electoral maps more fair.
We partner with an array of organizations and hold a variety of trainings to educate volunteers about all facets of redistricting and gerrymandering – its history, how we got where we are, how gerrymandered districts affect policymaking, and more. We’ll also have trainings to help you and other volunteers perfect the organizing tactics we’ll need to use in the fight for fair maps. In our target states, we offer state-specific training opportunities, too.
Who is behind All On The Line?
All On The Line is a campaign of the National Redistricting Action Fund (NRAF), an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), which is chaired by Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States.
The All On The Line campaign began, in part, when NRAF combined forces with Organizing for Action, an organization founded by aides of President Obama and grew out of President Obama’s campaign infrastructure. The power of ordinary people coming together to enact change is central to the beliefs of President Obama and Eric Holder, and they are both active in this effort and supportive of this campaign.
Do All On The Line events support any party or candidate?
As a campaign of the National Redistricting Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization, All on the Line’s primary purpose is the advocacy and the promotion of social welfare. However, in limited instances, and only when consistent with our values and mission, All On The Line may engage in grassroots electoral work.
How can I donate to this effort?
Thanks for your interest. All On The Line is proud to be a people-powered, grassroots effort – and we welcome grassroots donors as well as volunteers. You can donate here.