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CNBC: Gerrymandering could limit minority voters’ power even though Census shows population gains

Image for CNBC: Gerrymandering could limit minority voters’ power even though Census shows population gains
Voters line up to cast ballots outside the Barclays Center which is used as a polling station, on the first day of early voting in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. October 24, 2020. CREDIT: JEENAH MOON/REUTERS

By Annika Kim Constantino/CNBC

The battle to redraw U.S. congressional districts is taking place for the first time in decades without certain federal redistricting protections, raising concern that voters of color could get sidelined even as they have become a larger share of the population.

The Census Bureau this week released data that will serve as the basis for states to redraw their congressional districts. The process will influence the balance of power in the United States for a decade to come and could have an impact on the narrowly divided House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms.

Several minority advocacy groups expressed the need for redistricting reform after the release of the Census data Thursday.

“The redistricting process must ensure that Asian Americans and other racial minorities have a full and fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice,” Jerry Vattamala, director of the Democracy Program at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in a statement.