WHERE THE LINES ARE DRAWN AK
YES
AL
yes
AR
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DE
FL
GA
HI
IA
ID
IL
IN
KS
KY
LA
MA
MD
YES
PERIM YES
YES YES
<5% PERIM YES
YES
ME
MI
MN
MO
<5%
<2%
YES
yes
YES
yes
YES
YES YES
YES YES
spread YES
yes
yes
YES YES
Congressional districts
Nesting
Encourage
competition
No partisan
favoritism
YES
YES YES
yes
YES YES
mult.
yes
yes
YES
YES
yes
Communities
of interest
Political
boundaries
Compactness
Population
deviation
State legislative districts
YES
yes
YES
YES
YES
mostly same as state districts
YES
YES
YES
IF POSS.
yes
YES
YES
yes
1 congressional district
YES
yes
yes
IF POSS.
yes
yes
YES
same as state districts
same as state districts
1 congressional district
same as state districts
same as state districts
same as state districts
same as state districts
same as state districts
yes
same as state districts
different from state districts
same as state districts
yes
mostly same as state districts
same as state districts
same as state districts
mostly same as state districts
yes
yes
YES
A “yes” indicates that the state imposes the designated type of limit on its districts; a blank space indicates no limit in that
category. BOLD CAPS indicates a constitutional limit; standard typeface indicates a statutory limit; and gray typeface
indicates voluntary guidelines.
In most states, limits must be followed only as closely “as is practicable,” leaving substantial flexibility to the redistricting
body to serve other goals as well. And in every state, such standards are always subordinate to federal equal population
limits and to the federal Voting Rights Act.
Updated November 2010
NE
NH
NJ
NM
NV
NY
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
VT
WA
WI
WV
WY
YES
YES
yes
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
yes
YES
<8%
<4%
YES
YES
YES
yes
YES
YES
YES
yes
YES
YES
yes
yes
YES
YES
yes
Nesting
yes
YES
Congressional districts
Encourage
competition
yes
yes
YES
yes
No partisan
favoritism
Communities
of interest
yes
<1% spread
YES
YES
Political
boundaries
MS
MT
NC
ND
Compactness
Population
deviation
State legislative districts
YES
1 congressional district
yes
1 congressional district
yes
same as state districts
YES
yes
same as state districts
IF POSS.
YES
YES
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
yes
yes
yes
yes
YES
yes
YES
yes
yes
yes
YES
yes
YES
same as state districts
YES
same as state districts
1 congressional district
yes
YES
if poss.
same as state districts
same as state districts
1 congressional district
same as state districts
1 congressional district
A “yes” indicates that the state imposes the designated type of limit on its districts; a blank space indicates no limit in that
category. BOLD CAPS indicates a constitutional limit; standard typeface indicates a statutory limit; and gray typeface
indicates voluntary guidelines.
In most states, limits must be followed only as closely “as is practicable,” leaving substantial flexibility to the redistricting
body to serve other goals as well. And in every state, such standards are always subordinate to federal equal population
limits and to the federal Voting Rights Act..
Updated November 2010