Overview:

The Washington State Redistricting Commission (the “Commission”) intentionally selected redistricting plans for Washington’s state legislative districts that dilute Hispanic and/or Latino voters’ ability to elect candidates of choice. The Commission did so by configuring District 15, which includes parts of the Yakima Valley and Pasco, to be a façade of a Latino opportunity district. The choices of the commission—(1) excluding adjacent, politically cohesive Latino voters, (2) including a large number of rural white voters, (3) extending the district to reach non-politically active Latino voters, and (4) placing the district on a non-presidential election year cycle—result in a district that is a façade of Latino opportunity district.