Personal statement
In drawing the lines for PA, we took many factors into account during the creation process. To begin, we had to cover the essentials, such as contiguity and equal population. Along with those numbers, we tried to make sure no district was too high or too low within those numbers. This is so important in the process because it complies with the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote. " The next factor taken into account was competitive elections. Within the 17 districts, 11 of them were competitive, meaning each party has a relatively equal chance to win.
Another important topic covered within the map was minority representation. In districts with urban areas (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) there are high percentages of minorities. In these urban areas, minorities are a high percentage of population, so the odds are good that the person elected would have their interests in mind.
Lastly, we tried to avoid county/ municipal splits. Only four counties were broken up out of all 17 districts, specifically large counties. With all these topics taken into account, we the founders of Dave 'n' Dave believe we should win the "Draw the Lines PA" contest! Our only difficulties were creating compact counties, due to such differences in population through the different areas so near each other. Other than that, we feel it was a success.
