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Independence of State Congressional Redistricting Process

The increasing prevalence of partisan gerrymandering has led to a landscape of legislative maps where many lawmakers choose their voters, rather than the voter choosing their lawmaker as intended. Some states have enacted policies to prevent gerrymandering by requiring legislative maps to be drawn by independent commissions rather than the legislatures themselves. This map tracks policies that govern congressional redistricting processes within the states.
United States Map
Washington New York U.S. Virgin Islands Puerto Rico Guam Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands American Samoa New Hampshire Vermont Virginia Pennsylvania New York Maine West Virginia Ohio Kentucky Indiana Michigan Illinois Wisconsin North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Georgia Florida Mississippi Missouri Arkansas Louisiana Iowa Minnesota Oklahoma Kansas Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Texas 33 Colorado Wyoming Montana Idaho Arizona Utah Nevada Oregon California Hawaii Alaska Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey Delaware Maryland Washington D.C. New Hampshire Vermont
  • State has an independent commission for congressional redistricting process (11 states + D.C.)
  • State has a hybrid citizen/legislative commission for congressional redistricting process (1 state)
  • State has a political appointee commission for congressional redistricting process (5 states)
  • State has an advisory commission for congressional redistricting process (4 states)
  • State legislature draws congressional maps (29 states)
Recommended citation: Movement Advancement Project. "Independence of State Congressional Redistricting Process." https://www.mapresearch.org/democracy-maps/state_congressional_redistricting_process. Accessed 10/14/2024.

Breakdown by Population

*Note: These percentages reflect the voting-eligible population, as reported by the United States Election Project.

20%

20 % of voting-eligible population lives in states that have an independent commission for congressional redistricting process

3%

3 % of voting-eligible population lives in states that have a hybrid citizen/legislative commission for congressional redistricting process

7%

7 % of voting-eligible population lives in states that have a political appointee commission for congressional redistricting process

9%

9 % of voting-eligible population lives in states that have an advisory commission for congressional redistricting process

62%

62 % of voting-eligible population lives in states which its legislature draws congressional maps



Data current as of 09/04/2024
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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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