NY 2021 Redistricting Changes Amendment

The New York Redistricting Changes Amendment is on the Ballot, in New York, as a Legislatively referred Constitutional Amendment on November 2nd, 2021.

A "Yes" Vote supports this measure to:

(a) Change the Vote Thresholds for adopting Redistricting Plans when One Political party controls Bboth Legislative Chambers.

(b) Require that Incarcerated Persons be Counted as their Place of their Last Residence for Redistricting.

(c) Require the State to Count Residents, including People who are Residents but Not Citizens, should the Federal Census fail to do so.

(d) Remove the Block-on-Border requirement for Senate Districts.

(e) Cap the Number of State Senators at 63.

(f) Move Up the Timeline for Redistricting and Repeal Inoperative Language.

In New York, a 10-Member Redistricting Commission is responsible for Designing Congressional and State Legislative Maps and Submitting them to the New York State Legislature for an Up-or-Down Vote. The State Legislature Cannot Amend the Redistricting Plans unless Two Separate Sets of Plans are Rejected. In 2014, Voters Approved a Constitutional Amendment, titled Proposal 1, to establish the Redistricting Commission and Current Process.

The 10-Member Commission is composed of Eight Members appointed by Majority and Minority Party Legislative Leaders. These Eight Members appoint the remaining Two Members, who Cannot be Registered with the Two largest Legislative Officeholding Political Parties in the State. Based on the Current Partisan Makeup of the State Legislature, the Commission is designed to include Four Democratic-appointed Commissioners, Four Republican-appointed Commissioners, and Two Commissioners who are neither Democrats or Republicans.

Proposal 1 of 2014 established Vote Requirements for the Commission and Legislature to Pass Redistricting Plans. The Vote Requirements are based on Party Control of the Legislature. If Control of the Legislature is Divided, for example, if Republicans Controlled the Senate and Democrats Controlled the Assembly, then a simple Majority Vote is Required for the Legislature to adopt Maps. If the Legislature is Controlled by a Single Party, as is the case in 2021, then a Two-Thirds Majority Vote is required for the legislature to Adopt Maps.

The Ballot Measure would Repeal the Higher Vote Threshold for adopting Redistricting Plans when the Legislature is Controlled by a Single Party. a Simple Majority Vote would be Required for the Legislature to Adopt Plans regardless of Party Control. Among Commissioners, an Affirmative Vote of Seven Members would be Required to send Plans to the Legislature, rather than the Current Requirement that Seven of the Members include Specific Members Appointed by Legislative Leaders of both Parties. If the Legislature Rejects Two Sets of Redistricting plans from the Commission, it would be Allowed to Approve Amended Maps by a 60% Vote, rather than a 60% Vote when Party Control is Divided and a Two-Thirds Vote when One Party Controls both Chambers.

The Ballot Measure would also Remove the Block-on-Border Requirement for State Senate Districts, that Senate Districts Not Divide Counties or Towns, as well as the 'block-on-border' and 'town-on-border' Rules.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker