Redistricting insiders talk about voter cracking and voter concentration. Those terms have to do with state senators. In some states, half of the state Senate is elected every two years, so redistricting commissions will attempt to keep voters on a four-year election cycle.
Community of interest
Redistricting often involves redrawing district lines to accommodate population changes. This process, also known as reapportionment, is done to adjust the distribution of seats in the House and state legislature. Under federal law, there are 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and population changes can affect how many seats are allocated.
A community of interest is a collection of people with something in common. It could be a neighborhood, an area of employment, a particular ethnic group, or a specific industry. It can also include people who rely on the same social services or infrastructure.
Transparency
Transparency in redistricting is an essential component of good governance. It ensures the public and elected officials are informed about the process. It provides an opportunity to discuss and debate the outcome. Increasing transparency can help promote better representation and empower citizens to influence the process.
Transparency in redistricting is a high priority for the Coalition for Fair Redistricts. In Florida, they are working with the League of Women Voters, Common Cause Florida, UnidosUS, and the Florida Conservation Voters to make redistricting transparent in the state. The coalition recently asked all 160 state legislators to sign a pledge to make the redistricting process transparent. The Legislature signed the pledge, and the process is now expected to be public.
In Washington state, the Senate recently passed a bill that requires redistricting commissions to make plans public 72 hours before a vote. Amendments must also be publicly debated before final approval. Furthermore, the commission must publish maps and census unit descriptions as part of its plan.
Openness
One of the critical challenges in redistricting is making a district compact and open. While some states are strict about this, others are less strict. In some states, such as California, dispersion is a more important goal than compactness. Those states have a higher standard for district size and composition but don’t allow districts to be strangely shaped.
The California redistricting commission released preliminary maps for the next decade on Nov. 10, after late-night meetings for line drawing and public comment. These new maps will be used for the next decade, beginning in 2022. They will help determine how voters and communities band together in the future.
Preservation of communities of interest
Communities of interest are a key feature in redistricting and serve an important function. They protect small, unique neighborhoods from division and allow average citizens to become more active. In redistricting, communities of interest are defined as areas that share common problems and needs and can be addressed by government action. These concerns can include public safety, broadband access, and economic interests.
Communities of interest have been a critical topic during redistricting debates, and in North Carolina, a recent case called Stephenson v. Bartlett established this principle. The issue, which addressed redistricting in North Carolina, argued that communities of interest should be considered in creating compact electoral districts.
Rebalancing districts
Redistricting is redrawing congressional and state maps to better reflect population and geographic change. The process can be controversial. Redistricting lines often influence the results of elections. A redistricting process must be transparent and open to the public.
The redistricting process is often associated with partisan outcomes, but in recent years, state laws have sought to limit undue partisanship and promote compromise and balance. As of 2010, eight states have directly regulated the redistricting process. In addition, some redistricting bodies use the structure of their bodies to encourage balance and compromise.
Democrats argue that redistricting should be fair and nonpartisan and have pushed for independent commissions to rebalance districts based on population changes. However, redistricting results based on commissions or power-sharing agreements are unlikely to give Democrats an advantage in the next election.