What is local redistricting?
Any legislative body in which members are elected within districts must redraw these boundaries on occasion. That includes not only the US House of Representatives (congressional redistricting) and state legislatures, but also county and city legislative bodies, school districts, judicial districts and more. Fire, water, and other utility or administrative districts that are not representative in nature may also be redistricted.
What is reprecincting?
Reprecincting is the process of redrawing voting precinct boundaries. This typically happens at the county or municipality level and can occur before or after redistricting.
Contact the help desk if you have questions or need help with reprecincting in your community!
Why do we reprecinct?
Because redistricting typically occurs at the census block level, existing precincts may be split, something commonly prohibited by states. In addition, some states, such as Michigan, have requirements around the population of precincts. Other states, such as Texas, have requirements around the number of precincts in a district. Thus, county election officials must redraw their precinct boundaries in order to ensure they are wholly contained within local, state, and federal district boundaries.
Who does redistricting at the local level?
Just like congressional and state legislative redistricting, there is tremendous variation in terms of the who and how of redistricting at the local level. Some localities have commissions, while others hire consultants to do the work. Legislators themselves draw the lines in still other places.
When does local redistricting occur?
Many local governments redistrict after receipt of the decennial census data. These local governments may redistrict at the same time as states, after the state process has completed, and in some cases before states. Some local governments redistrict on a more regular basis than this (e.g., every four years). And some localities may not redistrict at all if they confirm that the populations of their districts have remained relatively unchanged over time and still fall within the acceptable limits of population deviation.
What criteria do local redistricting plans follow?
All local redistricting plans must follow the two federal rules: equal population and compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Generally speaking, local redistricting must also follow the same criteria laid out for states, or state-mandated requirements specific to local redistricting. In other cases, local governments may adopt their own criteria. And in still other cases, these two federal rules may be the only criteria required.
Where can I find local redistricting data?
We have compiled several local redistricting resources, including local government websites containing redistricting data or information for a particular city or county. Based on our experience collecting local data, we have also drafted up guidance to help you collect key local redistricting datasets.
Do local jurisdictions use adjusted census data?
Prison Gerrymandering affects communities on the local level as well as at the state. The Prison Policy Initiative maintains a list of county or municipal governments that use adjusted data to redistrict.
If I want to help collect local data to support nonpartisan redistricting efforts, which counties or communities should I prioritize?
Ensuring that minority communities can elect candidates of choice is, along with equal population, required for all redistricting plans, whether at the federal, state, or local level. However, as a general rule, much less attention is paid to local redistricting, and local officials have fewer resources to draw legally compliant maps.
Gathering local redistricting data is especially important in areas that have a high percentage of racial or ethnic minorities. We’ve created a visualization to highlight counties with majority BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) populations.
You can collect local redistricting data using our guide, and reach out to the help desk with questions and support requests.
How to collect local election and district boundary data to support local redistricting efforts
Find other sources of data, information, and organizations working on local redistricting in your state
Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) are the majority in these counties across the United States.
Do you have more local redistricting questions?
Our help desk team can answer your questions about redistricting
data and the redistricting process.
Send a message and they will respond within one business day!
County list by State
Select your state to see a list of counties with Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino groups that make up the majority.