Proposed NC redistricting criteria nearly identical to successful 2019 effort, forbids "Partisan Considerations and Election Results Data"
Raleigh, N.C. – Legislators on North Carolina's Senate and House redistricting committees will consider adopting map-drawing criteria nearly identical to the successful 2019 redraw, which Democrats called "the most transparent redistricting process in history."
Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke), who co-chairs the Senate Redistricting Committee, said, "There's no need to reinvent the wheel. We've said for two years that we'd mirror the successful 2019 redraw to the extent possible, and the criteria we're proposing are nearly identical to what we adopted back then."
North Carolina Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue (D-Wake) praised the maps produced using the 2019 criteria as "fair and nonpartisan."
Below is the proposed 2021 redistricting criteria:
Equal Population. The Committees will use the 2020 federal decennial census data as the sole basis of population for the establishment of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans. The number of persons in each legislative district shall be within plus or minus 5 percent of the ideal district population, as determined under the most recent federal decennial census. The number of persons in each congressional district shall be as nearly as equal as practicable, as determined under the most recent federal decennial census.
Contiguity. Legislative and congressional districts shall be comprised of contiguous territory. Contiguity by water is sufficient.
Counties, Groupings and Traversals. The Committees shall draw legislative districts within county groupings as required by Stephenson v. Bartlett, 355 N.C. 354, 562 S.E. 2d 377 (2002) (Stephenson I), Stephenson v. Bartlett, 357 N.C. 301, 582 S.E.2d 247 (2003) (Stephenson II), Dickson v. Rucho, 367 N.C. 542, 766 S.E.2d 238 (2014) (Dickson I) and Dickson v. Rucho, 368 N.C. 481, 781 S.E.2d 460 (2015) (Dickson II). Within county groupings, county lines shall not be traversed except as authorized by Stephenson I, Stephenson II, Dickson I, and Dickson II.
Division of counties in the 2021 Congressional plan shall only be made for reasons of equalizing population and consideration of double bunking. If a county is of sufficient population size to contain an entire congressional district within the county’s boundaries, the Committees shall construct a district entirely within that county.
Racial Data. Data identifying the race of individuals or voters shall not be used in the construction or consideration of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
VTDs. Voting districts (“VTDs”) should be split only when necessary.
Compactness. The Committees shall make reasonable efforts to draw legislative districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans that are compact. In doing so, the Committee may use as a guide the minimum Reock (“dispersion”) and Polsby-Popper (“perimeter”) scores identified by Richard H. Pildes and Richard G. Neimi in Expressive Harms, "Bizarre Districts," and Voting Rights: Evaluating Election-District Appearances After Shaw v. Reno, 92 Mich. L. Rev. 483 (1993).
Municipal Boundaries. The Committees may consider municipal boundaries when drawing districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
Election Data. Partisan considerations and election results data shall not be used in the drawing of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
Member Residence. Member residence may be considered in the formation of legislative and congressional districts.
Community Consideration. So long as a plan complies with the foregoing criteria, local knowledge of the character of communities and connections between communities may be considered in the formation of legislative and congressional districts.
Below is the adopted 2019 redistricting criteria:
Equal Population. The mapmakers shall use the 2010 federal decennial census data as the sole basis of population for drawing legislative districts in the Remedial Maps. The number of persons in each legislative district shall comply with the +/- 5 percent population deviation standard established by Stephenson v. Bartlett, 355 N.C. 354, 562 S.E. 2d 377 (2002).
Contiguity. Legislative districts shall be comprised of contiguous territory. Contiguity by water is sufficient.
County Groupings and Traversals. The mapmakers shall draw legislative districts in the Remedial Maps within county groupings as required by Stephenson v. Bartlett, 355 N.C. 354, 562 S.E. 2d 377 (2002) (Stephenson I), Stephenson v. Bartlett, 357 N.C. 301, 582 S.E.2d 247 (2003) (Stephenson II), Dickson v. Rucho, 367 N.C. 542, 766 S.E.2d 238 (2014) (Dickson I) and Dickson v. Rucho, 368 N.C. 481, 781 S.E.2d 460 (2015) (Dickson II). Within county groupings, county lines shall not be traversed except as authorized by Stephenson I, Stephenson II, Dickson I, and Dickson II. The county groupings utilized in the 2017 House and Senate Maps shall be utilized in the Remedial Maps.
Compactness. The mapmakers shall make reasonable efforts to draw legislative districts in the Remedial Maps that improve the compactness of the districts when compared to districts in place prior to the 2017 Enacted Legislative Maps. In doing so, the mapmaker may use as a guide the minimum Reock (“dispersion”) and Polsby-Popper (“perimeter”) scores identified by Richard H. Pildes and Richard G. Neimi in Expressive Harms, “Bizarre Districts,” and Voting Rights: Evaluating Election-District Appearances After Shaw v. Reno, 92 Mich. L. Rev. 483 (1993).
Fewer Split Precincts. The mapmakers shall make reasonable efforts to draw legislative districts in the Remedial Maps that split fewer precincts when compared to districts in place prior to the 2017 Enacted Legislative Maps.
Municipal Boundaries. The mapmakers may consider municipal boundaries when drawing legislative districts in the Remedial Maps.
Incumbency Protection. The mapmakers may take reasonable efforts to not pair incumbents unduly in the same election district.
Election Data. Partisan considerations and election results data shall not be used in the drawing of legislative districts in the Remedial Maps.
