Redistricting Functions

Watch: Census Bureau Briefs States On Redistricting Data Delivery Delay

By EditorMar 09, 2021

Watch this virtual briefing by the bureau last week on what exactly is taking so long with the redistricting data that states need to complete maps. Redistricting data will be delayed at least six months until Sep. 30. James Whitehorne, Chief of the Census Redistricting & Voting Rights Data Office at the Census Bureau, briefed state officials during this meeting hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The meeting begins with a short update on the status of H.R. 1, a sweeping election reform bill currently moving through Congress that would impose dramatic structural changes to the congressional redistricting…

Census Data and Geography, FEATURES, VIDEOAnalysis, census, census 2020, dataindepth, national, U.S. Census Bureau

Highlights of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4)

By EditorMar 09, 2021

During the 116th congress in 2019, the Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Leahy. The bill is expected to be reintroduced in some form in the current 117th congress. Below are the highlights of the bill’s provisions as articulated by Sen. Leahy’s office. You can read a more in-depth explanation of the first two points here. creates a new coverage formula that applies to all states and hinges on a finding of repeated voting rights violations in the preceding 25 years. establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focused on measures…

LAW, Race in Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, Voting Rights ActBASICS, national, Voting Rights Act

PlanScore Announces Online Redistricting App for Measuring Partisan Bias

By EditorMar 07, 2021

As the push for more transparency and less partisanship in redistricting intensifies, PlanScore aims to be "a trusted, non-partisan resource for the redistricting efforts to come in the 2020 cycle." The nonprofit organization formed by top legal, academic, and technical experts in the field, will do this by offering an online diagnostic tool for redistricting maps. The Online App The online service will assist legislative staff and the general public by allowing any geographic file uploaded by site visitors to be checked for its partisan, demographic, racial, and geometric features. The analysis gives plan-wide scores for several statistical measures that…

DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, NEWS, Partisan Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting GerrymandersAnalysis, dataindepth, planscore, redistricting data

Listen: Census Bureau Official and NCSL Director Discuss Redistricting Data Quality and Delays

By EditorMar 07, 2021

In this "Our American States" podcast hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) James Whitehorne, chief of the Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office at U.S. Census Bureau, and Wendy Underhill, who oversees the Elections and Redistricting Program at NCSL discuss how the pandemic affected the bureau’s ability to collect data, and how states are responding to the six-month delay for redistricting data. Podcast https://redistrictingonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OAS_Episode_124.mp3 For more podcasts visit the Our American States Podcast Page at NCSL.org

Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting PrepAnalysis, census, census 2020, dataindepth, ncsl, podcast, redistricting data, U.S. Census Bureau

2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission Makes Historic Hire with First Latino Executive Director

By EditorMar 04, 2021

Press Release: SACRAMENTO, CA (Feb. 25, 2021) —Today, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) confirmed Interim Executive Director Álvaro E. Hernández as its permanent Executive Director. Mr. Hernandez becomes the first Latino to serve in this post in a state where 40% of the population is Latino. The announcement was made upon reconvening from a closed session. “The Commission is thrilled to announce the hiring of Álvaro E. Hernández as its permanent Executive Director,” stated Chair Pedro Toledo. “Mr. Hernández’ promotion recognizes the Commission’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mr. Hernández created the comprehensive outreach plan immediately upon…

NEWS, Official Redistricting Entities, Redistricting CommissionsCalifornia, redistricting commissions

Amendments to H.R. 1 Take Congressional Map-Drawing Out of the Hands of State Legislatures in 2021

By EditorMar 03, 2021

In mid-February, we reported about potential sweeping reforms of the congressional redistricting process in the states proposed by Congress. The bill (H.R. 1) would have been effective in 2030 but newly added amendments on Monday, make it a requirement for states this year. Yes. This year. The amended H.R.1 requires states to either create an agency to establish a commission or designate an existing one to carry out a detailed commissioner selection process. The procedural requirements are substantial and maps created by the commission must meet various rigorous statistical measures to avoid partisan gerrymandering. A vote is scheduled on the…

LATEST, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting Criteria, REFORMcongress, national, partisan gerrymandering, policyindepth, redistricting reform

California Redistricting Commission Launches Communities of Interest Tool

By EditorMar 03, 2021

PRESS RELEASE 2020 California Citizens Redistricting CommissionLaunches Communities of Interest Tool SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) and the California Statewide Database announced the launch of the Communities of Interest (COI) input tool, designed to make it easier for Californians to participate in the redistricting process. Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts. When the Commission creates new districts, it must follow certain…

Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting CriteriaCalifornia, coi tool, communities of interest, policyindepth, press-releases, redistricting commissions, STATENEWS

Ohio Fires First Salvo in Court Over Delayed Census Redistricting Data

By EditorMar 01, 2021

On Thursday, Ohio became the first state to sue the U.S. Census Bureau over late redistricting data. After the Bureau announced it would delay the release of the data on the statutory deadline of March 31, postponing release to Sept 30, the Ohio Attorney General filed suit in federal district court to request data delivery for Ohio either on the statutory date or on the earliest date possible. The complaint challenges the decision of the Census Bureau to delay data delivery to the States due to processing delays caused by Covid-19 and its focus on delivering apportionment data to the…

Case Updates, Casedocs, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigationcensus, census 2020, Ohio, STATENEWS, U.S. Census Bureau

Minnesota Lawsuit Asks Court to Get a Jump on State Redistricting

By EditorMar 01, 2021

The delayed census redistricting data delivery schedule has put many states in a bind as they run up against state constitutional and statutory deadlines for redistricting. In Minnesota, the deadline for drawing a congressional map is in February of 2022, but the state has a decades-long history of not accomplishing the task. A new lawsuit filed in state court seeks to get ahead of the problem. According to the lawsuit filed on the 19th, the situation is dire. Population projections indicate that the state may lose a congressional seat in the upcoming apportionment scheduled to be released later this Spring.…

Case Updates, Casedocs, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Equal Population, Redistricting Litigationcensus, lpequalpro, Minnesota, STATENEWS

BASICS: Defining Equal Population in Redistricting

By EditorFeb 27, 2021

Redistricting is the process of redrawing election boundaries to equalize population, but you might ask; what population? and whether states and local jurisdictions have a choice in the matter. The short answer is that up to this point the overwhelming majority of jurisdictions use “total population” to measure equality among districts. The Supreme Court has acknowledged that states can use various population bases (provided they do not discriminate), but it has so far refused to mandate any specific method in particular. Here are the various potential measures of equal population: Total Population: This is the standard method because it is…

Redistricting Criteria, Redistricting Equal Population, Redistricting FunctionsBASICS, cvap, equal population