The Congressional Redistricting Process
Vocabulary
Census- an official, periodic procedure for systematically gathering information and counting a
population; the U.S. Constitution requires a decennial census to adjust the number of delegates
each state receives in the House of Representatives to ensure adequate representation based on
population changes
Compactness- a redistricting requirement defined by the tight or unified geometric shape and
interior of a district, such as a square; strange or irregularly shaped districts are often challenged
in court as examples of race-based gerrymandering
Contiguity- a redistricting requirement defined by a single, unbroken, physically connected
district; a contiguous district permits one to travel to all parts without crossing its boundaries
while a district comprising of two or more separate areas is not contiguous
“Covered jurisdictions”- states, counties, or towns that have a history of continued
discrimination against minority voters, and must gain preclearance (preliminary approval) for
voting or election-related changes from the U.S. Justice Department or the U.S. District Court in
Washington, D.C. under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110)
Decennial- occurring every ten years
Disenfranchise- to deprive a citizen of the right to vote
Electoral College- a body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the President and
Vice President of the United States; states lose or gain Electoral Votes based on reapportionment
Gerrymandering- a process that occurs when redistricting is undertaken for the benefit of a
particular group, such as members of one political party or race
Majority-minority district- a district comprised mostly of members of the same racial minority
group
Per curiam opinion- a decision issued by a multiple-judge appellate court where a judgment is
issued collectively and is often unsigned
Political subdivision- the geographic boundary of a state, county, city, town, or municipality;
respect for political boundaries is encouraged by many state constitutions during the redistricting
process; redistricting plans that excessively split local subdivisions among many Congressional
districts are typically found to be evidence of gerrymandering
Preclearance- an approval requirement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public
Law 89-110); “covered jurisdictions” must gain approval from the U.S. Justice Department or
the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. prior to implementing redistricting plans
Reapportionment- the reallocation of seats in a legislature; for example, Congressional
reapportionment results in some states gaining and other states losing seats in Congress
Redistricting- the redrawing of Congressional districts that takes place every 10 years following
the decennial census
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110)- a provision of the Voting
Rights Act which requires jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting
(“covered jurisdictions”) to gain preclearance (preliminary approval) from the U.S. Justice
Department or the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., for proposed changes to election
laws, including new redistricting plans
Strict scrutiny- a policy or law must demonstrate that it is justified because of a compelling
government interest, the highest standard of judicial review used by federal courts to determine if
a government policy or law is constitutional; the Supreme Court applies strict scrutiny to
redistricting on the basis of race under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment
Suffrage- the right to vote
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110)- a U.S. federal statute enacted to enforce the
Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by outlawing discriminatory voting practices that
were historically responsible for denying African Americans the right to vote