Redistricting is the process by which an area is divided or organized into new districts, usually political. We are a representative democracy, so in order to be accurately represented, a decennial census is taken and new districts are drawn to reflect the past decade’s population changes.

The districts that need to be drawn are: Congressional Districts, State Senate Districts, State House Districts, State Board of Education Districts, among a few others.

The process of drawing new maps occurs every 10 years following the national census. States and local areas have their own timelines for redrawing districts, based on when they get their census data and when their next elections will be. The most recent census took place in 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau released the data late. The redistricting process in Texas is now underway and will likely continue into the Spring of 2022.

You! How district lines are drawn influences who runs for public office and who is elected including how responsive elected representatives are to your community when they make decisions important to your lives, from ensuring safe schools to adopting immigration policies. These lines should reflect the interests of everyone living in the district— including children, non-citizens and those who cannot vote. Redistricting has historically been used to shift power away from communities of interest and into the hands a few elected officials. This decennial process has the ability to cement political power and influence policy for the next decade

The responsibility of drawing new maps in Texas falls on two committees: the House Redistricting Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Redistricting. Both committees hold a series of public hearings and draw new districts using a software called RedAppl, which can also be used by the public to submit alternative maps for legislators’ consideration. Ultimately, the two committees must work together to enact new state redistricting plans. If the House or Senate cannot agree on maps, the job of redistricting moves on to the Legislative Redistricting Board, a five‐member body made up of the governor, the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House, comptroller and land commissioner.

The idea behind gerrymandering is pretty simple: you pack your opponents’ supporters together into very few districts. Then you make other districts relatively more balanced — but you place enough of your supporters in most of them to give you an advantage. The hoped-for result is that your party loses a few districts hugely, yet wins a majority of districts comfortably.There are two types: racial gerrymandering (illegal) and partisan gerrymandering (legal although still bad).

Your personal story is one of the most powerful tools you have. By testifying at a committee hearing, you can share details about your personal experience voting or working with an elected official on an issue in your neighborhood. It is also an opportunity to share your community’s story including traditions, needs, demographics, etc and suggest how maps should be drawn. Hearing date are below. 

Senate: 9/7-9/11, virtual testimony only. Register here.

House: 9/8-9, 9/13, 9/15, 9/18. Submit written testimony here.