Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the census and involves redrawing legislative district boundaries to account for population changes. It must comply with federal voting rights laws and can involve partisan battles over how districts are shaped. The document discusses the redistricting process, including its legal requirements, timeline, actors involved, and technology used. It also notes trends in the most recent 2010 redistricting cycle.

1. Redistricting, Reapportionment and
Reform
Morgan Cullen
National Conference of State Legislatures

3. Redistricting Overview
 What?
 Why?
 When?
 Who?
 Where?
 How?
 So What?

4. Redistricting 2010-What?
Redistricting
or
Reapportionment

5. Redistricting 2010-Why?
Baker v. Carr, 1962
• Congress: as equal as possible
• State legislature: up to 10% “deviation,”
if for good reason

6. Redistricting 2010-When?
 All Census Data was delivered by April 1st
 Final Deadline--2012 elections (except Maine &
Montana)
 Filing deadline for candidates for primary
 Time for local officials to re-precinct
 Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act Preclearance--add
60 (or 120) + days
 Four states had 2011 legislative elections
 Two states don’t have legislative elections until
2014

7. 2013 Redistricting
Progress Report—April 10th
Redistricting Plans Incomplete
Redistricting Plans Complete
Redistricting Plans Complete
Lawsuit Pending

8. Reapportionment 2010-Where?
4

9. Redistricting 2010-Who?
 Board or commission--
 13 States for Legislative Lines
 7 States for U.S. House
 Advisory
 Back-up
 Iowa model
 Courts (Mandatory Review Process KS, CO, FL)
 Legislature
 37 States for Legislative Lines

10. Legislative Redistricting
Commissions 2013
Backup
Primary
Advisory

11. Legislative Redistricting
Commissions 2013
Party Appointed Commission
Backup
Advisory
Independent
Politician/Politician Appointed
Total Legislative Control
Legislature

12. California Citizens Redistricting
Commission
 14 member commission (5 Dem, 5 GOP, 4
other)
 State Auditors Office selects 60 registered
voters
 Legislative Leaders can reduce the pool
 Auditors office then selects 8 member
through a lottery
 Those eight members pick rest of the
members
 Plans must be approved by a supermajority

13. Iowa Model
 Three maps drawn by nonpartisan
legislative staff
 No political data can be used
 Legislature must approve--no
amendments
 Legislature can re-take control of third
set of proposed maps

14. Party Control of Redistricting
U.S. House Districts
1990 2000 2010 2011
Democrats 168 135 110 47
Republicans 5 98 90 202
Split 240 157 189 87
Commission
& Iowa
15 38 39 92
At-Large 7 7 7 7

15. Redistricting 2010-How?
 Population equality
 Comply with Voting Rights Act and 14th
Amendment
 Traditional Districting Principles
 Technology--software and data

16. The Voting Rights Act
Section 2 • Do minorities represent most of
the voters in a concentrated
area?
• Do other voters tend to vote for
different candidates than
minorities?
• Is the minority population
otherwise protected given the
“totality of the circumstances”?
Do Not Dilute

17. Illinois Congressional District - 2001

18. Complying With The Voting
Rights Act
Chicago Suburbsburbs
Latino/Hispanic
African-American

19. Complying With The Voting
Rights Act
Chicago Suburbs
suburbsLatino/Hispanic
African-American

20. The Voting Rights Act
Section 5
• “Preclearance” for certain
jurisdictions
• Is the new map intended to dilute minority votes?
• Does the new map leave minority voters worse
off?
(“retrogression”)

21. After federal law, add state
limitations
• Contiguity
• Political boundaries
• Compactness
• Communities of interest
State leg. Congress
48 23
46 20
38 19
22 13

22. State Mandates On Partisan
Competitiveness/Fairness
Fair Districts
Competitive Districts

23. Florida State Legislature Party Composition
23
Representatives 120 120
Republicans 81 76
Democrats 39 44
Senators 40 40
Republicans 28 26
Democrats 12 14
2011-2012 2013-2014

24. Key Points:
 Constitutionally mandated
 Highly regulated by federal and state
laws--not all about Gerrymandering
 Changes in 2010:
 Prisoners
 California
 Public Access/Participation
 ACS

25. Thank You!
Morgan Cullen
Morgan.Cullen@ncsl.org
National Conference of State Legislatures

26. "Redistricting may be the single
least interesting word in the
English language."
--Dan Schnur, Sacramento Bee
October 2008

27. "Redistricting may be the single
least interesting word in the
English language."
--Dan Schnur, Sacramento Bee
October 2008

28. "Redistricting may be the single
least interesting word in the
English language."
--Dan Schnur, Sacramento Bee
October 2008

29. “The once-in-a-decade
redrawing of political
boundaries is exceedingly
important and excruciatingly
arcane.”
--Los Angeles Times

30. After federal law, add state
limitations
• Contiguity
• Political boundaries
• Compactness
• Communities of interest
• Partisanship/competition
State leg. Congress
48 22
43 18
37 17
24 13
10 7

32. Court Sent Map Back To Legislature
Court Approved Legislative Map
Court Drew Map (Not Legislature)
Court Approved Commission Map
Court Sent Map Back to Commission
Court Drew Map (Not Commission)

34. CD 7
CD 6
CD 1

39. Redistricting 2010-How?
 Legal--Population equality &
Compliance with Voting Rights Act and
14th Amendment and not subverting
traditional districting principles and
making race the predominant factor in
drawing a plan
 Technology--software and data

40. Key Points:
 Constitutionally mandated
 Highly regulated by federal and state
laws
 2010 Redistricting Cycle:
 3 states require adjusted data for prisons
 Public involvement
 ACS/CVAP
 California commission
 Dramatic Hispanic growth and rural
population loss

41. "Redistricting may be the single least
interesting word in the English
language."
--Dan Schnur, Sacramento Bee
“The once-in-a-decade redrawing of
political boundaries is exceedingly
important and excruciatingly arcane.”
-- Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times