Montana Redistricting: How YOU can Shape the Future of Public Lands

No matter our color, party, or zip code, we all deserve a fair chance to elect leaders who share our values.

Last spring, on the heels of the 2020 census, we learned that Montana will gain a second congressional seat. As part of that process, we’re also redrawing the lines for our entire state legislature, which means we have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to draw fair, just, and equitable districts that truly represent our values, our neighborhoods, and our communities.

The process is already underway, and the state’s independent Districting and Apportionment Commission must file its final Congressional map by November 14.

Until then, citizens like you can play a vital role in the process by providing your input on potential maps. Throughout October, you’ll have several chances to comment, and your input will be massively valuable in helping the commission decide just how we should draw our new districts.

To make participating easy, we’re leading a virtual comment-writing workshop on October 6 at 6 p.m. MST. We’ll show you the newest map drafts, walk you through the most important criteria, what the commission is looking for, and how you can write a productive and impactful comment.

Register for the workshop today

Montana is one of just a few states with an independent redistricting commission, making us a national leader in drawing fair maps that ensure every voter, no matter where they come from or what they look like, has an equal say in who we elect to represent us. Unlike in most states, our independent commission is made up of Montanans appointed by the legislature and state Supreme Court. Taking the districting process out of the hands of partisan legislators helps ensure that we can draw our maps to give every voter an equal voice and keep party politics and gerrymandering out of the process.

It also helps make sure that districts stay competitive, which leads to less polarization, more collaboration, and elections that better reflect widely shared values, not extreme ideologies.

So, what does drawing fair and competitive congressional and legislative districts have to do with protecting wild public lands?

It all comes down to making sure we have a fair chance to elect leaders that share our values.

In Montana, there’s no better reflection of those shared values than our public lands. Over 90% of Montanans visit public lands every year, and no matter where we live or what color we are, we believe in the importance of clean air, clean water, public access, healthy wildlife, and time spent outdoors. Ending up with unfair maps would rob Montanans of the chance to elect leaders who share a commitment to protecting those values. From Eureka to Ekalaka, Montanans are proud of our legacy of safeguarding our wild places, protecting wildlife habitat and migration corridors, and keeping headwaters and streams running cold, clear, and connected, and we believe in electing leaders who stand up for what unites us.

By speaking out together for fair redistricting, we can ensure that every Montanan has an equal chance to choose leaders who will defend our wildlands, wildlife, clean water, and the other things that bring us together across race, location, and politics. After all, when it comes to deciding who represents us, almost all of us want a transparent process we can trust to keep communities whole and ensure all voters have an equal voice.

Standing up for fair, competitive districts and Montana’s shared public land values by signing up for our redistricting comment writing workshop today.