Drawn Together (sometimes styled Drawn Together SD) is a project of the left-of-center League of Women Voters based in South Dakota. The project aims to build support for legislation that would allow select high-ranking federal officials to appoint registered voters in South Dakota to a commission that would determine the shape of the state’s congressional districts.

Background

On February 5, 2020, former South Dakota State Representative Jamie Smith proposed House Joint Resolution 5002 in the South Dakota House of Representatives, a bill which, if passed, would submit an amendment to the state constitution for the consideration by the state’s electorate in the following election cycle. ¹²

The proposed amendment sought to institute a commission of five registered South Dakota voters, each respectively appointed by the majority and minority leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, in cooperation with the U.S. Secretary of State. This commission would be charged in 2021 and every decade thereafter with determining the boundaries of congressional districts in accordance with prioritized aims enumerated in the bill’s text, including the minimization of county, municipal, and census divisions and reliance on visible geographic features to draw boundaries. ³⁴

The bill was co-sponsored by five Democratic state representatives and three Democratic state senators. It did not pass. ⁵

State Rep. Smith’s bill is the only item featured on the Drawn Together website’s “What’s Happening?” page. On the page describing the organization, Drawn Together states that its mission is to support legislation of a similar nature. ⁶

Member organizations

Drawn Together is formed by a coalition the South Dakota state affiliates of left-of-center organizations, including the League of Women Voters of South Dakota, the American Civil Liberties Union, Farmers Union, Common Grounds Indivisible, the Sierra Club, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Association of University Women. ⁷

There are several left-wing state-based organizations involved in the coalition as well, including Dakota Rural Action, South Dakotans Against Racism, SD Voices for Peace, and SD Voices for Justice. ⁸

The League of Women Voters

Drawn Together’s parent organization is the League of Women Voters of the United States (often abbreviated “The League”), a political advocacy organization which lobbies and advocates in support of various left-leaning issues. ⁹

The organization has supported increased taxation and government spending, government-controlled healthcare, a ban on low-priced handguns, and increased U.S. involvement with the International Criminal Court. ¹⁰

The League’s educational arm, the League of Women Voters Education Fund, funds the organization’s educational and public advocacy programs, including Drawn Together. The Fund has received financial support from major liberal donors, including the Ford Foundation, the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and the Tides Foundation. ¹¹ Drawn Together’s website features a link to the League’s state-level affiliate, the League of Women Voters of South Dakota. ¹²

1. “What’s Happening.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.drawntogethersd.com/whats-happening
2. South Dakota Legislature: Legislative Research Council. Accessed February 27, 2021.https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/12072
3. “What’s Happening.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.drawntogethersd.com/whats-happening
4. South Dakota Legislature: Legislative Research Council. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/12072 
5. South Dakota Legislature: Legislative Research Council. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/12072
6. “Who We Are.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.drawntogethersd.com/who-we-are
7. “Who We Are.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.drawntogethersd.com/who-we-are 
8. “Who We Are.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.drawntogethersd.com/who-we-are
9. “Bill Lobbied 2010-2017: League of Women Voters of the U.S.” 2010-2017. Center For Responsive Politics. Undated. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientbills.php?id=D000052977&year=2010
10. “Impact On Issues. 2016-2108: A Guide to Public Policy Positions League of Women Voters of the United States.” League of Women Voters of the United States. 2017. Accessed February 28, 2021. http://forum.lwv.org/sites/default/files/impact_on_issues_2016-2018_full.pdf
11. Gizzi, John. “League of Women Voters: A Legacy of Liberal Issues and Causes.” Capital Research Center, Organization Trends. November 6, 2015. Accessed February 28, 2021.https://capitalresearch.org/article/lwv/
12. “Who We Are.” Drawn Together SD. Accessed February 27, 2021.https://www.drawntogethersd.com/who-we-are