State's Redistricting Update

As of Dec. 9, 17 States have adopted New Congressional Maps following the 2020 Census and 21 States have adopted New State Legislative Maps.

At this point in 2011, 27 States had adopted New Congressional Maps, and 21 had adopted New State Legislative Maps.

No States have enacted Maps since Illinois adopted its Congressional Map on Nov. 24. Three States: Maryland, New Mexico, and South Carolina, are holding Special Legislative Sessions this week to consider Redistricting Plans.

North Carolina

The North Carolina Supreme Court, issued an Order Wednesday, that moves the State's Primary Elections from March 2022 to May 2022, due to Lawsuits over Redistricting Maps for Congressional and State Legislative Districts. The Preliminary Injunction also Halts Candidate Filing, Reversing an earlier State Court of Appeals Ruling.

Oregon

The Oregon Supreme Court announced that No Challenges were filed to the State’s Congressional Map by the Nov. 29 Deadline, meaning that those District Boundaries will Stand as Enacted by the Legislature. This was the Third time the Oregon Legislature successfully Enacted a Congressional Redistricting Map since 1910 without Gubernatorial Veto, Court-Ordered Re-Drawing, or Authority for Map Drawing being Passed to the Secretary of State.

The Court had previously Announced that it had Dismissed All Cases challenging the State's Legislative Maps and Ruled that those Boundaries would stand as Enacted as well. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) Signed New Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Plans on Sept. 27.

Washington

The Washington Supreme Court Ruled on Dec. 3 that it would Not Exercise its Authority to Enact New Congressional and Legislative District Boundaries despite the State Redistricting Commission’s announcement that it did Not meet its Nov. 15 Deadline. The Commission said that it had agreed on Map Plans on Nov. 16, and had submitted these Plans to the Supreme Court for Consideration.

In its decision, the Supreme Court wrote that “the plan adopted by the Washington State Redistricting Commission met the constitutional deadline and substantially complied with the statutory deadline to transmit the matter to the legislature. Accordingly, the Washington State Redistricting Commission shall complete any remaining tasks necessary to complete its work so that the process for finalizing the redistricting plan…may proceed.”

The Legislature may Amend the Commission's Maps by a Two-Thirds Vote of each Chamber.

Congressional and State Legislative District Boundaries, in Washington, are drawn by a Five-Member Non-Politician Commission that was established by a 1983 Constitutional Amendment. The Majority and Minority Leaders of both Legislative Chambers each Appoint One Registered Voter to the Commission, and those Four Commissioners appoint a Fifth, Non-Voting Member to Serve as the Commission's Chair.










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