Single-Member Districts Give Voters Greater Clout News Clipping
Press
January 1, 1982

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Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Working Files - Williams. Single-Member Districts Give Voters Greater Clout News Clipping, 1982. cfaa0664-da92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/b87efa32-6b41-4cf3-ae4f-ad29f425fef5/single-member-districts-give-voters-greater-clout-news-clipping. Accessed July 30, 2025.
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By LESLIE WINNER .:i .: slick advertising'become more im' Since a full slate of ilmocrats', portant than philosophy, experi- rr . . and l0 Repubticans h";iii;'i;i tn,"." or competence. - - Voter confuEion is,but one of many reasons why the N.c. Glnerar assemu-rv, ia:ec[, -^'lJ-ttIl:I-9]I! ll9 :Le-l.t-: +ho o,,r,..ori..,.,*o,.,r ,.f rhp Co.orrl A"cp","hl.r . Singll *Jl#"'lH.i[If, ifr3 :il,'"','; the "pportiorrrr,.r,t of the General Assembly iit'^i1ff$1'J,':T:1,:J::*.., ' xlli"n*ii,'#I"ild";i8;;;'::i- ;ffifr';;;y single.mrr.u*, "r;;ililLim,,;i;.i;;;";"i:i iitiij i|i'i,l-Hti , graphicallv 99TP1ct p.a.rtsr e1c! ",'.'1".'". uY,,uJ Dr.ubls''rr/:u: il?''4i,+"# graphically compact parts, eacl Eilsrii - with about 5Q;0Q0 residents an< re#iii each electine one house member ;li:",:".J,'jj fl[ [+1fr i^iili"'".f;iiJ fi:'d661.1ffit:#li districtr. ", *' Y; ' yrn"l';?l?:ffi ;ffil#i,'::li.i{qi{{i{,t'fl:.:i' : 'i": ::; :: : :l elected were black, and only I out of 50 senators was black. Experience across the South demonstrates that changing from multimember districts to single- member districts helps correct this imbalance. Every state legis- lative body which has switched has changed from having an inor- dinantly small number of black representatives to having a more realistic number, although in no case anywhere near a proportion- ate share. For example, Louisiana changed from having I black leg- islator to having 22; Alabama, f.rom 2 to l5; Mississippi, from I to 17. o Simply electing more black representatives is not, however, the only reason that having single member districts is important to the black community. Sociologists have shown that multimember districts enhance minority voter apathy. If it is hopeless to elect a representative that you believe will really represent you, why bother to register or vote? . Studies show that for black candidates to be elected from mul- tlmember districts, they need the endorsement of influential white groups. Once that black candidate is elected, he or she must be an- swerable to the white community for re-election and is not primarily 1_u accountable to the black i nity. . .i! i'Some people argue that member districts will I ward politics and that no oneXl$ll advocate the Sood of the That same argument was about city council district sentation, but the not turned out to be correcl -\ Still Purt Ol Vhole Charlotte's district representa. tives are still responsible for the good of the whole city. Slmilarly representatives from single-mem- ber districts will still be responsl. ble for the welfare of the whole county, indeed, the whole state. But they will also understand and be responslve to the needs of their particular constituencies. The .right to vote is valuablc. People should be allowed to use lt intelligentlyand effectively.,'; l*slie Winner, 31, is an otton ney at the Charlotte law tirm of Chambers, Ferguson, Watt, Wal- Ios, adlrins and Fuller, P.A. She is one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in Gtngles Vs. Ed. misten, the lawsuit challenging the apportionment of: |he N.C. GeneralAssembly. ' ),., bef ore. them W;ffi.,":f;i*r,i, i!',11,iX""11'j,jll',-""11'":::t ii':-:' used. tsut a candidate gan cover ai Mecklenburg County is a large i r'..lrthey should pull : yilii:p*,.' 1i!:;jid:1il;;:ft:t. to get the best r^6,^^^-l^f:^- ii.r,i"rl'i.1;&; fffi,ffiffij . !lII}|.*9gqJ. 9iYld..9,itt" ISII . pensive media advertising must be the delegation's diversity. re prese n tation machine levers ti',$.}1. i,ffi;, - ::j:::.i::1:_:" :::'.'Y-:.,:'|'"^,'"' . pensive media advertlsing must be the delegation's diversity. ,hii',n;i',ti , ' i,^t13_i",iil'g:y*i'[I.li .r:.: i*lii:lr,:atr*:",,:"*iti::;t ;;y:l}i:tTlr;iuii;';"'ffgi l".r?::#;"ffi',1 iliiii..,n.d citizens,o u,. iilil {.1},ifi'.',llil.';?i,1"i131,,}it'i:l lt::fl:loHf;',::X':X';1?';'d:?: i;'R;i;igh:-''-i- ffi? . votesef.fectiu!ll'... ,- ,- -... -- ,'iiioia lo-uJ'erected is increased,.: oush debate of issues. The effects rr essarybecausecurrentapporrion- should be by'single-member dis'. ,."ili;"o;;;;;iil;'ir;;;';iuy - iriis;r;"ctis;iparticurarim-,i :li[i"i{,ffi:*;i:#i#'tf;lt lll"j],.r"u rrrip-,. ,epre::r.r1- lli u1l"'J[iu;.*;iillmr;i;i n;ii{:it-1::-'lxil??,'tftfr;:, Ienburg County to be etectCo-it tives for a single lu!9!i-ctt_on ;cost of running foi a alitrtct seat','his oveT too,oo0 -btack-residenti, 1 large. -Since ulcktenburg is enti- makes representativel s!:[.,L!'tt. is many times Iower than the cost more than enough to comprise ,, ,state goise aria (11on; wittr Ci: ents. This conclusion is backed by - ., 'never elected a black member to . : barrus County) iour -rtatr : siri- ::: studies of political scientists.. - , . Multinlqmbeq districts resul(. tire state AourJ - i atorc, u"cfi v6ie{iJi,rupp6ieqi-oi.l...Acitlzenwithaproblemisless ''in'relatively homogenous dele-\'ih;;;;;;;tharthose100,000::f ieteci tZ. : .ii;tlt,".+*t'IiJ:ii- ;'likelytoknowwhoto.",l]:I9one g.ations because each representa- btack residenrs are--a-minority ,;.';.ii.'..,]'ii-r.' ,'personis"his"representativeand'tivemustbeelectedbya-majority mixed in with the SOO,OOO whii!:-t . ---ii-wf,i" beira' Wft$ffrei: ^,Bj:J3:.::":j::.E j:l:lg. ino tre inituenceof laieC poiiti;i, or proposed tegislation on alr seg-: "oniurini "i,pl . n,__-.,' ' :-.. o.f many reasons why the "p!p,l: ';;ti;;;;;;iti;;-;";d";il;. ;"";;ii;i;fffffi;;;;""i .."i, iriit. iia- :, ,l Winner ' 1'::T,*j:lll.^,9:1,^.T11:1.-rly weaitt v coniiiuutors is oecreaseo. unanticipated r6sulti avoided. I' ttutt'tLul''t!/.nrl".. .jr..,_ ,accountabilitydecreases. Itishard whoaren'tamaJorityofthe-popu- I - to keep track of how t2 people 1atlon can nevei eleit a repiesin- The experience in Mecklenburg Even for the mg9! av_id political voted on issues of concern._ - - tative. Working people, ruial peo- County is'noi unique to the statel:i observers, it is difficult to learn- . Multimember districts in- pie, ana poorliopie itt Oesirve m tgAO, ay;,oigf, Ziy.;i ih;I the views and opinions of-22 can- ,crease the cost of-campaigni-ng. In iepreseniation. Single-member sr.ate's population-was biick, onty1, didates. Name recognition and 'order to reach 400,000 people, ex. diitricts will predicta"bly increase S out ' qt 120 representativeii,/ 1 ' "; i ti .:,.:.j . . i,f, '' 'i i '..f,i ,lt L ,.t, e :( :.$-i :1!] .ft. , J*'.fi