Floterial district

A floterial district is a legislative district that includes several separate districts that independently would not be entitled to seats in the legislative body, but whose combined population entitles the area to another seat. It is a technique that a state may be authorized to use to achieve more equal apportionment by population during redistricting.[1]

In common usage, a floterial district is not just a multi-town district, but a multi-town district that "floats" over towns that already elect one or more legislators. For example, a city due more than five representatives but not quite six might elect five representing the city itself, and one more in a floterial district that includes some neighboring towns whose small populations, alone, would not merit even a single representative.

Several U.S. states have used floterial districts for state offices, including Idaho, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Texas, but only New Hampshire currently has them.[2]

  1. ^ Boyer v. Gardner, 540 F. Supp. 624, 629-30 (D.N.H. 1982)
  2. ^ "About NH's Floterial Districts". Open Democracy. Retrieved 2024-08-05.