Written for two very different inboxes

The right message
for the right reader.

Lawmakers need the facts in 90 seconds. The public needs a friendly nudge and a clear next step. So we write two newsletters — and you can read a real sample of each below.

For lawmakers & staff

The Redistricting Brief

Monthly · ~400 words · designed to be skimmed between meetings. Nonpartisan facts, clear asks, every claim sourced.

The Redistricting Brief · Issue No. 1

Where fair-map reform stands this month

Fair Maps America · Nonpartisan · June 2026
TL;DR: Public support for independent redistricting is broad and bipartisan. Two practical reforms are ready for committee. We’re asking for a 15-minute briefing with your office.

1 · The 30-second context

After each Census, district lines are redrawn — and whoever controls the pen can lock in outcomes for a decade. Reform isn’t about which party wins; it’s about whether voters, not mapmakers, decide elections. With the 2030 cycle approaching (and Illinois’ own 2028 decision sooner), the groundwork laid now determines the options later.

2 · Three things moving

  • Transparency standards — requiring public map data, comment periods, and published criteria before adoption.
  • Independent or advisory commissions — models already working in several states, adaptable to ours.
  • Anti-gerrymandering criteria — compactness, respect for communities of interest, and a ban on favoring incumbents.

3 · What your constituents are saying

Across party lines, voters consistently say they want competitive, community-based districts. We can share district-level interest data from our citizen coalition for your area on request.

The ask

A short, no-pressure briefing — 15 minutes, in person or virtual. We’ll bring one page of facts, no spin. Reply to this email or reach us at policy@fairmapsamerica.org.

Sources available on request · Fair Maps America is nonpartisan and does not support or oppose any candidate or party. This is a sample template — replace bracketed specifics with current bills and data before sending.

For citizens

Fair & Square

Monthly · warm, plain-English, never preachy. One explainer, one win, one easy action.

Fair & Square · Your monthly fair-maps update

Gerrymandering, explained in 2 minutes 🗺️

Fair Maps America · June 2026

Hi friend 👋 — welcome to the very first Fair & Square. Every month we’ll keep it short: one thing to understand, one thing to celebrate, and one thing you can do in five minutes. Let’s go.

🧠 Understand: what is gerrymandering?

Imagine your neighborhood split in half so that no matter how everyone votes, the result is decided in advance. That’s gerrymandering — drawing district lines to “crack” communities apart or “pack” them together so one side always wins. The fix is simple to say and worth fighting for: voters should pick their leaders, not the other way around.

🎉 Celebrate: a community win

This month, [Town/Group] hosted a packed forum on fair maps — proof that people do care when you give them a clear, non-partisan way in. That’s exactly the energy we’re building toward 2028 and 2030.

✅ Your 5-minute action

  • Forward this email to one person who cares about fairness.
  • Check that your voter registration is current (link inside).
  • Reply and tell us: what’s your district like?

That’s it — see you next month. Thanks for caring about how this all works. It matters more than people think. 💙💛

Sample template — swap the bracketed bits for real wins and links before sending. You’re receiving this because you joined the Fair Maps America coalition. Unsubscribe anytime — no hard feelings.

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