Principals David Flaherty, John Diez and Jennifer Anderson Flaherty have worked with redistricting technology, integrated political and census databases, and experience in the redistricting process since 1994. David is the former Manager of Redistricting Technology for the Republican National Committee (RNC) for the 2001 redistricting cycle, and John served as David’s deputy. During the 2001 redistricting cycle, David and John worked with Republican state parties, caucuses, political consultants, expert witnesses and attorneys in 30 different states. During the 2011 redistricting cycle, Magellan Strategies has been working with more than 20 state and national organizations to ensure their redistricting databases meet their needs.
The first step in the redistricting process is compiling a precinct level election return database spanning election cycles from 2001 to 2010. This is a tedious and complicated process primarily due to changes in precinct boundaries and naming throughout the decade. Reallocating election return data between years, in areas where precincts have been split in high growth areas, is very time consuming and the sooner the process begins, the better. Because of Magellan Strategies vast experience handling precinct changes, we are currently under contract with national Republican organizations preparing databases in states across the country. We offer this service to individual entities as well so that your planning is on track and ready when the census data is released in 2011.
Once you have made the decision to purchase redistricting software, you will need technical assistance and guidance from a Republican firm to ensure you are prepared for the cycle. In 2001, the partners at Magellan were charged with evaluating every tool, function, and capability of the various redistricting software packages that Republican entities were using. They were responsible and “on call” to assist Republican efforts and ensure that everyone was ready and able to produce redistricting plans in their respective states before and during the redistricting process. Magellan Strategies has been offering these services in 2011 by providing technical and software consulting so that Republican stakeholders are not faced with surprises in their planned drawing efforts.
Magellan Redistricting References
Thomas B. Hofeller
RNC Redistricting Consultant
Office (202) 863-8816
Cell (703) 623-0764
thofeller@rnchq.org
Clark Bensen
Polidata CEO
Redistricting Demographer, Expert Witness and Attorney
(703) 690-4066
clark@polidata.org
www.Polidata.org