Redistricting

This article is about the process of determining electoral boundaries in the United States. For the process in other countries, see Redistribution (election).
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Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries.[1] For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census.[2]

The U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 provides for proportional representation in the House of Representatives. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 required that the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives be kept at a constant 435, and a 1941 act made the reapportionment among the states by population automatic after every decennial census.[3] Reapportionment occurs at the federal level followed by redistricting at the state level. According to Colegrove v. Green, 328 U.S. 549 (1946), Article I, Section 4 left to the legislature of each state the authority to establish congressional districts;[4] however, such decisions are subject to judicial review.[2][5] In most states redistricting is subject to political maneuvering, but some state legislatures have created independent commissions.[6]

The Uniform Congressional District Act (enacted in 1967) requires that representatives be elected from single-member districts. When a state has a single representative, that district will be state-wide.[7]

Gerrymandering in the redistricting process has been a problem since the early days of the republic.[8] In recent years, critics have argued that redistricting has been used to neutralize minority voting power.[9] Supporters say it enhances electoral competitiveness.[10]

  1. ^ "Boundary Delimitation Glossary". ACE: The Electoral Knowledge Network. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b Goldman, Ari L. (21 November 1986). "One man, one vote: Decades of court decisions". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Apportionment Legislation 1890 – Present". U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010.
  4. ^ "Proportional Representation". Washington, D.C.: Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  5. ^ Warren, Earl. "Reynolds v. Sims". Justia. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Who draws the lines?". All About Redistricting. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  7. ^ 2 U.S.C. § 2c
  8. ^ Griffith, Elmer (1907). The Rise and Development of the Gerrymander. Chicago: Scott Foresman. OCLC 45790508.
  9. ^ "Gerrymandering could limit minority voters' power even though Census shows population gains". CNBC. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  10. ^ "Why should we care?". All About Redistricting. Retrieved 4 December 2022.