2010 United States redistricting cycle

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The 2010 United States redistricting cycle took place following the completion of the 2010 United States census. In all fifty states, various bodies re-drew state legislative districts. States that are apportioned more than one seat in the United States House of Representatives also drew new districts for that legislative body. The resulting new districts were first implemented for the 2011 and 2012 elections.

Contents

The rules for redistricting vary from state to state, but all states draw new legislative and congressional maps either in the state legislature, in redistricting commissions, or through some combination of the state legislature and a redistricting commission. Though various laws and court decisions have put constraints on redistricting, many redistricting institutions continue to practice gerrymandering, which involves drawing new districts with the intention of giving a political advantage to specific groups. [1] Political parties prepare for redistricting years in advance, and partisan control of redistricting institutions can provide a party with major advantages. [2] Aside from the possibility of mid-decade redistricting, [3] the districts drawn in the 2010 redistricting cycle will remain in effect until the next round of redistricting following the 2020 United States census.

This was the first cycle since the 2000 cycle.

United States House of Representatives

Reapportionment

United States Congressional Apportionment 2012-2022 2010 census reapportionment.svg
United States Congressional Apportionment 2012-2022

Article One of the United States Constitution establishes the United States House of Representatives and apportions representatives to the states based on population, with reapportionment occurring every ten years. The decennial United States census determines the population of each state. Each of the fifty states is guaranteed at least one representative, and the Huntington–Hill method is used to assign the remaining 385 seats to states based on the population of each state. Congress has provided for reapportionment every ten years since the enactment of the Reapportionment Act of 1929. Since 1913, the U.S. House of Representatives has consisted of 435 members, a number set by statute, though the number of representatives temporarily increased in 1959. Reapportionment also affects presidential elections, as each state is guaranteed electoral votes equivalent to the number of representatives and senators representing the state.[ citation needed ]

Newly created districts and eliminated districts

The new seats were first contested in the 2012 United States House of Representatives elections.

Eliminated districtsCreated districts

Results of the 2010 cycle

As Republicans had made significant gains in the 2010 state legislative elections, the Republican State Leadership Committee established a program called REDMAP in order to draw legislative, congressional and other district maps to ensure Republican victories in future elections. Among the strategists involved in the drawing of favorable maps was Thomas Hofeller and strategist Chris Jankowski.

Democrats were particularly unhappy with the results of the 2012 House elections in which Democratic candidates for the U.S. House received more votes than Republican House candidates, but Republicans retained control of the chamber. [4] After the results of the 2010 census results were released:

In addition, the Democrats were deeply disadvantaged by the resulting state legislative maps, with similar effects of malapportionment being observed in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and North Carolina.

This perceived skewing of the redistricting process set the stage for several legal challenges from voters and groups in the court system, including several heard at the Supreme Court level. [5]

Changes to the redistricting process since 2012

Federal court rulings

In the 2013 case, Shelby County v. Holder , the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which was a coverage formula that determined which states and counties required preclearance from the Justice Department before making changes to voting laws and procedures. [6] The formula had covered states with a history of minority voter disenfranchisement, and the preclearance procedure was designed to block discriminatory voting practices. [6] In the 2019 case of Rucho v. Common Cause , the Supreme Court held that claims of partisan gerrymandering present nonjusticiable political questions that cannot be reviewed by federal courts. [7]

In another 2019 case, Department of Commerce v. New York , the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from adding a question to the 2020 census regarding the citizenship of respondents. [8]

State court rulings

In 2015, the Supreme Court of Florida ordered the state to draw a new congressional map on the basis of a 2010 state constitutional amendment that banned partisan gerrymandering. [9]

In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the 2011 U.S. House of Representatives map on the grounds that it violated the state constitution; the court established new redistricting standards requiring districts to be compact and to minimize the splitting of counties and towns. [10]

In 2019, a North Carolina state court struck down the state's legislative districts on the grounds that the district had been created with the partisan intent of favoring Republican candidates. [11]

Ballot measures

In 2015, Ohio voters approved a ballot measure changing the composition of the commission charged with drawing state legislative districts, adding two legislative appointees to the commission and creating rules and guidelines designed to make partisan gerrymandering more difficult. [12] In May 2018, Ohio voters approved a proposal that modified the state's congressional redistricting processes. [13]

In 2018, voters in Colorado and Michigan approved of a proposal to establish an independent redistricting commission for congressional and state legislative districts in their respective states. Missouri voters approved of a proposal to have a "non-partisan state demographer" draw state legislative districts. [14] In Utah, voters approved the creation of a redistricting commission to draw congressional and state legislative districts, though the Utah state legislature retains the power to reject these maps. [15]

In 2020, voters in Virginia approved the establishment of a bipartisan redistricting commission for both congressional and state legislative redistricting. The commission consists eight legislators and eight non-legislator citizens, with the commission split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerrymandering</span> Form of political manipulation

In representative democracies, gerrymandering is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The manipulation may involve "cracking" or "packing". Gerrymandering can also be used to protect incumbents. Wayne Dawkins describes it as politicians picking their voters instead of voters picking their politicians.

Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each decennial census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina's congressional districts</span> U.S. House districts in the state of North Carolina

North Carolina is currently divided into 14 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. After the 2000 census, the number of North Carolina's seats was increased from 12 to 13 due to the state's increase in population. In the 2022 elections, per the 2020 United States census, North Carolina gained one new congressional seat for a total of 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland's 6th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Maryland

Maryland's 6th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives from the northwest part of the state. The district comprises all of Garrett, Allegany, Frederick, and Washington counties as well as a portion of Montgomery County. David Trone (D) is its current representative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio's congressional districts</span> Congressional districts in the U.S. state of Ohio

Ohio is divided into 15 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. After the 2010 census, Ohio lost two House seats due to slow population growth compared to the national average, and a new map was signed into law on September 26, 2011. Starting in the 2022 midterms, per the 2020 United States census, Ohio will lose a congressional seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California's congressional districts</span> U.S. House districts in the state of California

California is the most populous U.S. state; as a result, it has the most representation in the United States House of Representatives, with 52 Representatives. Each Representative represents one congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania's congressional districts</span> Congressional districting since 2003

After the 2000 census, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was divided into 19 congressional districts, decreasing from 21 due to reapportionment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia's congressional districts</span> U.S. House districts in the state of Virginia

Virginia is currently divided into 11 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. The death of Rep. Donald McEachin on November 28, 2022, left the 4th congressional district seat empty. Following the results of a special election to fill his seat on February 21, 2023, Jennifer McClellan made history by becoming Virginia's first black congresswoman.

Vieth v. Jubelirer, 541 U.S. 267 (2004), was a United States Supreme Court ruling that was significant in the area of partisan redistricting and political gerrymandering. The court, in a plurality opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia and joined by Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Clarence Thomas, with Justice Anthony Kennedy concurring in the judgment, upheld the ruling of the District Court in favor of the appellees that the alleged political gerrymandering was not unconstitutional. Subsequent to the ruling, partisan bias in redistricting increased dramatically in the 2010 redistricting round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington's congressional districts</span> U.S. House districts in the state of Washington

The following is a list of the ten congressional districts in the U.S. state of Washington. From the time that Washington Territory was formed in 1853, through statehood in 1889, Washington Territory elected an at-large non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives. At different times in its history, the state of Washington has also elected one or more representatives At-large statewide. Washington gained its 10th district following reapportionment after the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistricting in Pennsylvania</span> Overview about redistricting in Pennsylvania

Redistricting in Pennsylvania refers to the decennial process of redrawing state legislative and federal congressional districts in Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistricting in Arizona</span>

The U.S. state of Arizona, in common with the other U.S. states, must redraw its congressional and legislative districts every ten years to reflect changes in the state and national populations. Redistricting normally follows the completion of the United States census, which is carried out by the federal government the first year of every decade; the most recent census took place in 2020. Historically, Arizona's legislature had control over the redistricting process. However, Proposition 106, passed in 2000, delegated the power to draw congressional and legislative boundaries to a bipartisan independent commission. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) comprises two Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent chair. County and local redistricting, which normally takes place along the same timeline as congressional and legislative redistricting, is carried out by the individual county and local governments rather than the AIRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerrymandering in the United States</span> Setting electoral district boundaries to favor specific political interests in legislative bodies

Gerrymandering is the practice of setting boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests within legislative bodies, often resulting in districts with convoluted, winding boundaries rather than compact areas. The term "gerrymandering" was coined after a review of Massachusetts's redistricting maps of 1812 set by Governor Elbridge Gerry noted that one of the districts looked like a mythical salamander.

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) is a US organization that focuses on redistricting and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. The organization coordinates campaign strategy, directs fundraising, organizes ballot initiatives and files lawsuits against state redistricting maps. At launch, the organization announced that it intends to support Democratic candidates for local and state offices in order for them to control congressional map drawing in the redistricting cycle following the 2020 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States redistricting cycle</span>

The 2020 United States redistricting cycle is in progress following the completion of the 2020 United States census. In all fifty states, various bodies are re-drawing state legislative districts. States that are apportioned more than one seat in the United States House of Representatives are also drawing new districts for that legislative body.

Rucho v. Common Cause, No. 18-422, 588 U.S. ___ (2019) is a landmark case of the United States Supreme Court concerning partisan gerrymandering. The Court ruled that while partisan gerrymandering may be "incompatible with democratic principles", the federal courts cannot review such allegations, as they present nonjusticiable political questions outside the remit of these courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistricting in North Carolina</span>

Redistricting in North Carolina has been a controversial topic due to allegations and admissions of gerrymandering.

<i>League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania</i> 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court case regarding gerrymandering

League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania et al.—abbreviated League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth—was a decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on gerrymandering, concerning the power of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to draw maps based on partisan advantage. The Court ruled that the maps adopted by the Republican controlled legislature in 2011 was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the Constitution of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistricting in Wisconsin</span>

Redistricting in Wisconsin is the process by which boundaries are redrawn for municipal wards, Wisconsin State Assembly districts, Wisconsin State Senate districts, and Wisconsin's congressional districts. Redistricting occurs—as in other U.S. states—once every decade, usually in the year after the decennial United States census. According to the Wisconsin Constitution, redistricting in Wisconsin follows the regular legislative process, it must be passed by both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature and signed by the Governor of Wisconsin—unless the Legislature has sufficient votes to override a gubernatorial veto. Due to political gridlock, however, it has become common for Wisconsin redistricting to be conducted by courts. The 1982, 1992, and 2002 legislative maps were each created by panels of United States federal judges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistricting in Texas</span>

Texas House of Representatives districts, Texas Senate districts, Texas Board of Education districts, and Texas's congressional districts are redistricted once every decade, usually in the year after the decennial United States census. According to the Texas Constitution, redistricting in Texas follows the regular legislative process; it must be passed by both houses of the Texas Legislature and signed by the governor of Texas—unless the legislature has sufficient votes to override a gubernatorial veto. Like many other states in the American South after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, federal judges and the United States Supreme Court have struck down Texas's congressional and legislative districts on multiple occasions, including in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

References

  1. Miller, pp. 10-11
  2. Miller, William J.; Walling, Jeremy (June 7, 2013). The Political Battle over Congressional Redistricting. Lexington Books. pp. 1–4. ISBN   9780739169841. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  3. Wilson, Reid (February 4, 2015). "Nevada Republicans could take up mid-decade redistricting". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 13, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  4. Levitz, Eric (August 4, 2015). "Democrats aim to 'unrig' congressional maps in 2020". MSNBC. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  5. Newkirk II, Vann (October 28, 2017). "How Redistricting Became a Technological Arms Race". The Atlantic . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Levitt, Justin. "Who draws the lines?-Preclearance". All About Redistricting. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  7. Chung, Andrew; Hurley, Lawrence (June 27, 2019). "In major elections ruling, U.S. Supreme Court allows partisan map drawing". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  8. Liptak, Adam (June 27, 2019). "Supreme Court Leaves Census Question on Citizenship in Doubt". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  9. Prokop, Andrew (December 5, 2015). "Florida's Supreme Court has struck another blow against gerrymandering". Vox. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  10. Lai, Jonathan; Navratil, Liz. "Pennsylvania, gerrymandered: A guide to Pa.'s congressional map redistricting fight". Philly.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  11. Mills Rodrigo, Chris (September 3, 2019). "North Carolina court strikes down state legislative map". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  12. Siegel, Jim (November 4, 2015). "Voters approve issue to reform Ohio's redistricting process". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  13. Wilson, Reid (May 8, 2018). "Ohio voters pass redistricting reform initiative". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  14. Moon, Emily (November 7, 2018). "HOW DID CITIZEN-LED REDISTRICTING INITIATIVES FARE IN THE MID-TERMS?". Pacific Standard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  15. Rodgers, Bethany; Wood, Benjamin (February 22, 2020). "Utah's new anti-gerrymandering law is at risk, group warns". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  16. Weiner, Rachel (November 4, 2020). "Virginians approve turning redistricting over to bipartisan commission". The Washington Post .