Arizona Independent Redistricting
Commission
The Redistricting Process
Overview
1. Why do we have a Redistricting Commission?
2. What is redistricting?
3. What is the difference between
reapportionment and redistricting?
4. Why do we have to redistrict?
5. What guidelines need to be followed when
drawing new districts?
6. What are the steps in the redistricting
process?
7. How can public input be submitted to the
AIRC?
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1. Why do we have a Redistricting Commission?
• This is the 2nd time Arizona's districts will be redrawn by the Arizona
Independent Redistricting Commission.
• In 2000 when Arizona voters approved Proposition 106 they created
the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission and established a
process and criteria for drawing new district lines.
• The commission is made up of two Democrats, two Republicans and
an independent Chair elected by the other commissioners. The fifth
member shall not be registered with any party already represented on
the Commission.
• The 2011 AIRC members are:
Scott
Freeman,
Vice Chair
Jose
Herrera,
Vice Chair
Colleen
Mathis,
Chair
Linda
McNulty
Richard
Stertz
Republican
Democrat
Independent
Democrat
Republican
Maricopa County
Maricopa County
Pima County
Pima County
Pima County
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2. What is Redistricting?
•
Redistricting is the process of redrawing congressional and
legislative district lines.
3. What is the difference between
redistricting and reapportionment?
• The two terms are often used interchangeably. Technically,
there is a difference.
• Reapportionment is the process of allocating congressional
districts among the states based on changes in population.
– Because of population growth over the last decade, Arizona was
allocated an additional congressional district after the 2010
census, going from eight to nine districts.
• Redistricting is the process of drawing the actual boundaries of
the districts.
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4. Why do we have to redistrict?
• Because AZ gained a congressional district, new
lines will have to be drawn to add the new district.
Even if AZ had not gained a district, the
congressional and legislative districts lines would
have to be redrawn to account for changes in
population. The concept of one-person, one-vote
dictates that there should be as close to the same
number of people per district as possible.
• Because the rate of population growth is different
in different areas, the existing districts now have
different populations.
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5. What guidelines need to be followed when
drawing new districts?
• A: Must comply with the U.S Constitution and the
Voting Rights Act
• B: Equal Population
– Criteria A and B are federally mandated. All plans
must satisfy these two criteria.
• C: Compact and Contiguous
• D: Respect communities of interest
• E: Use visible geographic features, city town and
county boundaries, and undivided Census Tracts
• F: Create competitive districts where no significant
detriment to other goals
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6. The AZ Redistricting Process
• Public hearings to collect input
• Start with a Grid Map
• In some states, the previous plans are used as the
starting point for the new plans. That is not the case in
AZ. In AZ, the starting point is the Grid Map per Prop.
106
The commencement of the mapping process for both the
Congressional and Legislative districts shall be the creation
of equal population in a grid-like pattern across the state.
• The initial grid map will likely only meet criteria B and C
– B: Equal Population
– C: Compact and Contiguous
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The AZ Redistricting Process (continued)
Adjusting the grid map to meet the six criteria
• A: Voting Rights Act
– Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts must receive
preclearance or approval from the Department of Justice or
a federal court under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act
before they can take effect. To get preclearance, Arizona
must demonstrate that the new districts do not discriminate
against minority voters in purpose or effect, which means
there can be no intentional or accidental discrimination.
– Under Section 5, Arizona's redistricting plans cannot be
retrogressive. The plans cannot weaken or reduce minority
voters' rights.
– The presence of discrimination can be determined by
analyzing population data and election results.
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The AZ Redistricting Process (continued)
Adjusting the grid map
• B: Equal population
• C: Compact and contiguous
• D: Respects communities of interest
– One of the goals of the AIRC public hearings is to solicit public
input about communities of interest. There are forms available at
the public hearings, or on the AIRC website that can be used to
define an area that you feel should be considered a community of
interest.
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The AZ Redistricting Process (continued)
• E: Use visible geographic features
– County boundaries, cities and towns, and
Census Tracts
– Usually Census geography follows visible
features
• F: Create competitive districts where no
significant detriment to other goals
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7. The AIRC Wants Your Input
• Fill out a request to speak form at a public hearing and
provide the commission you input. Example of input
includes thoughts on:
• Criteria
• Communities of interest
• Anything else about redistricting
• You can speak at the hearing, or submit your input
using one of the public input forms at the hearing or on
the AIRC website.
• Visit us at www.azredistricting.org or call 602-542-5221
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