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<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Princeton Gerrymandering Project - State Reform Routes</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/feed/</link><description>Latest content from Princeton Gerrymandering Project's Reforms page.</description><atom:link href="http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/feed/" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2020 21:07:57 +0000</lastBuildDate><item><title>Alabama</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AL</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Alabama redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/al/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwval.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Alabama&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.alabamavotingrights.com/"&gt;Alabama Voting Rights Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn. Some of Alabama\'s maps this past decade were found by federal courts to be racial gerrymanders. There may be another attempt to commit racial gerrymanders in the upcoming redistricting cycle.&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Because a single party will control redistricting, there is an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/chestnut-v-merrill"&gt;Chestnut v. Merrill&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Alabama\'s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. The case is set to begin trial on November 4, 2019, but the challengers will only be able to get a declaratory judgment, not any change in the map.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Alabama was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Alabama was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Alabamans are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Alabama's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alabama law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'AL', 'actions': "Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Alabama redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/al/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.\r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Alabama](https://lwval.org/)\r\n\r\n[Alabama Voting Rights Project](https://www.alabamavotingrights.com/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn. Some of Alabama's maps this past decade were found by federal courts to be racial gerrymanders. There may be another attempt to commit racial gerrymanders in the upcoming redistricting cycle.\r\n\r\nBecause a single party will control redistricting, there is an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.\r\n\r\n- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Chestnut v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/chestnut-v-merrill)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Alabama's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. The case is set to begin trial on November 4, 2019, but the challengers will only be able to get a declaratory judgment, not any change in the map.\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 41, 3, 622833, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/AL', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Alabama', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Alabama was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Alabama was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Alabamans are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Alabama's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alabama law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AL</guid><actions>Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Alabama redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/al/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.

If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Alabama redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/al/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Alabama's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alabama law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Alabama's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alabama law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn. Some of Alabama's maps this past decade were found by federal courts to be racial gerrymanders. There may be another attempt to commit racial gerrymanders in the upcoming redistricting cycle.

Because a single party will control redistricting, there is an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Chestnut v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/chestnut-v-merrill)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Alabama's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. The case is set to begin trial on November 4, 2019, but the challengers will only be able to get a declaratory judgment, not any change in the map.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn. Some of Alabama's maps this past decade were found by federal courts to be racial gerrymanders. There may be another attempt to commit racial gerrymanders in the upcoming redistricting cycle.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because a single party will control redistricting, there is an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/chestnut-v-merrill"&gt;Chestnut v. Merrill&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Alabama's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. The case is set to begin trial on November 4, 2019, but the challengers will only be able to get a declaratory judgment, not any change in the map.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn. Some of Alabama's maps this past decade were found by federal courts to be racial gerrymanders. There may be another attempt to commit racial gerrymanders in the upcoming redistricting cycle.

Because a single party will control redistricting, there is an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Chestnut v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/chestnut-v-merrill)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Alabama's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd congressional districts as cracking minority voters, and the 7th congressional district as packing minority voters. The case is set to begin trial on November 4, 2019, but the challengers will only be able to get a declaratory judgment, not any change in the map.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Alabama is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwval.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Alabama&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.alabamavotingrights.com/"&gt;Alabama Voting Rights Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Alaska</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AK</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Alaska redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ak/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://akredistricting.org"&gt;Alaska\'s Redistricting Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://juneaulwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Juneau&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvalaska.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Alaska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Alaska's state legislative maps do not score poorly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Potential issues are a lack of representation for indigenous Alaskans and communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Alaska was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Alaska was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Alaskans are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Alaska's state legislative district lines are drawn by the state's Redistricting Board, an independent commission with members appointed by the Governor, the majority leaders in each chamber of the Legislature, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Alaska has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alaska law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'AK', 'actions': "Participate in the Commission's public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Alaska redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ak/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': "[Alaska's Redistricting Board](http://akredistricting.org)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters Juneau](http://juneaulwv.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters Alaska](http://www.lwvalaska.org/)", 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "Alaska's state legislative maps do not score poorly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness. \r\n\r\nPotential issues are a lack of representation for indigenous Alaskans and communities of interest.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 17, 25, 1, 862511, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/AK', 'legislative_control': 'Senate: Republican; House: Bipartisan Coalition Control', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Alaska', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Alaska was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Alaska was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Alaskans are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Alaska's state legislative district lines are drawn by the state's Redistricting Board, an independent commission with members appointed by the Governor, the majority leaders in each chamber of the Legislature, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Alaska has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alaska law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AK</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Alaska redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ak/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Alaska redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ak/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Alaska's state legislative district lines are drawn by the state's Redistricting Board, an independent commission with members appointed by the Governor, the majority leaders in each chamber of the Legislature, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Alaska has only one at-large congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alaska law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Alaska's state legislative district lines are drawn by the state's Redistricting Board, an independent commission with members appointed by the Governor, the majority leaders in each chamber of the Legislature, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Alaska has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Alaska law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Alaska's state legislative maps do not score poorly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness. 

Potential issues are a lack of representation for indigenous Alaskans and communities of interest.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Alaska's state legislative maps do not score poorly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Potential issues are a lack of representation for indigenous Alaskans and communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Alaska's state legislative maps do not score poorly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness. 

Potential issues are a lack of representation for indigenous Alaskans and communities of interest.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://akredistricting.org"&gt;Alaska's Redistricting Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://juneaulwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Juneau&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvalaska.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Alaska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Senate: Republican; House: Bipartisan Coalition Control</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Arizona</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AZ</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Arizona redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/az/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azredistricting.org"&gt;Arizona Redistricting Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/arizona"&gt;League of Women Voters of Arizona&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Arizona\'s congressional maps do not score highly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project\'s tests of partisan unfairness.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Potential issues are a lack of representation for Native Americans and Latinos, as well as communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Arizona is estimated to gain one congressional seat following reapportionment.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Arizona was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Arizona was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Arizonans are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Arizona's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state's Independent Redistricting Commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arizona law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or candidate for office.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'AZ', 'actions': "Participate in the Commission's public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Arizona redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/az/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Arizona Redistricting Commission](https://azredistricting.org)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Arizona](https://my.lwv.org/arizona)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "Arizona's congressional maps do not score highly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness.\r\n\r\nPotential issues are a lack of representation for Native Americans and Latinos, as well as communities of interest.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Arizona is estimated to gain one congressional seat following reapportionment.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 31, 26, 288782, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/AZ', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Arizona', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Arizona was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Arizona was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Arizonans are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Arizona's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state's Independent Redistricting Commission.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arizona law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or candidate for office.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AZ</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Arizona redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/az/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Arizona redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/az/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Arizona's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state's Independent Redistricting Commission.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arizona law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or candidate for office.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Arizona's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state's Independent Redistricting Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arizona law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or candidate for office.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Arizona's congressional maps do not score highly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness.

Potential issues are a lack of representation for Native Americans and Latinos, as well as communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Arizona is estimated to gain one congressional seat following reapportionment.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Arizona's congressional maps do not score highly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Potential issues are a lack of representation for Native Americans and Latinos, as well as communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Arizona is estimated to gain one congressional seat following reapportionment.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Arizona's congressional maps do not score highly on the Princeton Gerrymandering Project's tests of partisan unfairness.

Potential issues are a lack of representation for Native Americans and Latinos, as well as communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Arizona is estimated to gain one congressional seat following reapportionment.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azredistricting.org"&gt;Arizona Redistricting Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/arizona"&gt;League of Women Voters of Arizona&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Arkansas</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AR</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Gather signatures for the independent citizens\' redistricting commission. To be on the ballot, the &lt;a href="https://www.arkansasag.gov/assets/opinions/2018-135.pdf#page=13"&gt;initiative petition&lt;/a&gt; needs 89,151 valid signatures by July 3, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Arkansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ar/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwv-arkansas.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Arkansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.acluarkansas.org/"&gt;ACLU of Arkansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legal Challenge&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2011, the state legislative maps were sued by a state senator who alleged vote dilution. The map lowered the black voting age population in his district from 58% to 53%. The Court found no legal issue, holding that the reduction was an unfortunate consequence, not a product of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act nor intentional discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Proposed Reform&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Arkansas currently has single-party control over redistricting. A constitutional amendment could replace the current process with a commission. A proposed redistricting initiative, sponsored by Little Rock attorney David Couch, would &lt;a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/10/26/attorney-general-approves-proposal-for-independent-redistricting-commission"&gt;establish&lt;/a&gt; an independent citizens\' redistricting commission. Passage of this proposal would change the redistricting process for 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;This proposed amendment would create an independent seven-member commission. Four members (two per party) would be appointed by the state legislative leadership, and those four members would select three unaffiliated commissioners.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The initiative would also prohibit partisanship in districting, protect minority groups, and require respect for communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Lastly, the commission would have to conduct at least one public hearing per congressional district with adequate notice. It also would create a website to publish all data used by the commission as well as draft maps, meeting transcripts, and copies of reports.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Arkansas\' state legislative districts are drawn by an Apportionment Board consisting of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Predicted Republican gains have come to fruition with Republicans holding large majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly: 74R-26D in the House and 26R-9D in the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Arkansas\' congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature has the power to override the Governor\'s veto with a simple majority in each chamber. Arkansas\' current congressional delegation is four Republicans and no Democrats.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arkansas law requires that state Senate districts be contiguous and keep counties whole. The &lt;a href="http://www.arkansasredistricting.org/redistricting-criteria"&gt;Apportionment Board\'s website&lt;/a&gt; discusses other criteria like compactness and respecting communities of interest, but these are not required by law. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;While no public hearings are currently required under Arkansas law, the state legislative Apportionment Board held seven hearings between May and July in the 2011 cycle. Without a change in the law, it is likely for there to be a similar timeline.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'AR', 'actions': "Gather signatures for the independent citizens' redistricting commission. To be on the ballot, the [initiative petition](https://www.arkansasag.gov/assets/opinions/2018-135.pdf#page=13) needs 89,151 valid signatures by July 3, 2020.\r\n\r\nObtain Arkansas redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ar/).\r\n\r\nUse software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Arkansas](http://www.lwv-arkansas.org/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Arkansas](https://www.acluarkansas.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Apportionment Board', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legal Challenge&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn 2011, the state legislative maps were sued by a state senator who alleged vote dilution. The map lowered the black voting age population in his district from 58% to 53%. The Court found no legal issue, holding that the reduction was an unfortunate consequence, not a product of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act nor intentional discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Proposed Reform&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nArkansas currently has single-party control over redistricting. A constitutional amendment could replace the current process with a commission. A proposed redistricting initiative, sponsored by Little Rock attorney David Couch, would &lt;a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/10/26/attorney-general-approves-proposal-for-independent-redistricting-commission"&gt;establish&lt;/a&gt; an independent citizens\' redistricting commission. Passage of this proposal would change the redistricting process for 2021.\r\n\r\n- This proposed amendment would create an independent seven-member commission. Four members (two per party) would be appointed by the state legislative leadership, and those four members would select three unaffiliated commissioners.\r\n\r\n- The initiative would also prohibit partisanship in districting, protect minority groups, and require respect for communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Lastly, the commission would have to conduct at least one public hearing per congressional district with adequate notice. It also would create a website to publish all data used by the commission as well as draft maps, meeting transcripts, and copies of reports.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 19, 16, 34, 9, 566635, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/AR', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Arkansas', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nArkansas' state legislative districts are drawn by an Apportionment Board consisting of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Predicted Republican gains have come to fruition with Republicans holding large majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly: 74R-26D in the House and 26R-9D in the Senate.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nArkansas' congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature has the power to override the Governor's veto with a simple majority in each chamber. Arkansas' current congressional delegation is four Republicans and no Democrats.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arkansas law requires that state Senate districts be contiguous and keep counties whole. The [Apportionment Board's website](http://www.arkansasredistricting.org/redistricting-criteria) discusses other criteria like compactness and respecting communities of interest, but these are not required by law. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nWhile no public hearings are currently required under Arkansas law, the state legislative Apportionment Board held seven hearings between May and July in the 2011 cycle. Without a change in the law, it is likely for there to be a similar timeline.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/AR</guid><actions>Gather signatures for the independent citizens' redistricting commission. To be on the ballot, the [initiative petition](https://www.arkansasag.gov/assets/opinions/2018-135.pdf#page=13) needs 89,151 valid signatures by July 3, 2020.

Obtain Arkansas redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ar/).

Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Gather signatures for the independent citizens' redistricting commission. To be on the ballot, the &lt;a href="https://www.arkansasag.gov/assets/opinions/2018-135.pdf#page=13"&gt;initiative petition&lt;/a&gt; needs 89,151 valid signatures by July 3, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Arkansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ar/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Arkansas' state legislative districts are drawn by an Apportionment Board consisting of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Predicted Republican gains have come to fruition with Republicans holding large majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly: 74R-26D in the House and 26R-9D in the Senate.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Arkansas' congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature has the power to override the Governor's veto with a simple majority in each chamber. Arkansas' current congressional delegation is four Republicans and no Democrats.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arkansas law requires that state Senate districts be contiguous and keep counties whole. The [Apportionment Board's website](http://www.arkansasredistricting.org/redistricting-criteria) discusses other criteria like compactness and respecting communities of interest, but these are not required by law. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

While no public hearings are currently required under Arkansas law, the state legislative Apportionment Board held seven hearings between May and July in the 2011 cycle. Without a change in the law, it is likely for there to be a similar timeline.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Arkansas' state legislative districts are drawn by an Apportionment Board consisting of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Predicted Republican gains have come to fruition with Republicans holding large majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly: 74R-26D in the House and 26R-9D in the Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Arkansas' congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature has the power to override the Governor's veto with a simple majority in each chamber. Arkansas' current congressional delegation is four Republicans and no Democrats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Arkansas law requires that state Senate districts be contiguous and keep counties whole. The &lt;a href="http://www.arkansasredistricting.org/redistricting-criteria"&gt;Apportionment Board's website&lt;/a&gt; discusses other criteria like compactness and respecting communities of interest, but these are not required by law. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While no public hearings are currently required under Arkansas law, the state legislative Apportionment Board held seven hearings between May and July in the 2011 cycle. Without a change in the law, it is likely for there to be a similar timeline.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legal Challenge&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In 2011, the state legislative maps were sued by a state senator who alleged vote dilution. The map lowered the black voting age population in his district from 58% to 53%. The Court found no legal issue, holding that the reduction was an unfortunate consequence, not a product of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act nor intentional discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Proposed Reform&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Arkansas currently has single-party control over redistricting. A constitutional amendment could replace the current process with a commission. A proposed redistricting initiative, sponsored by Little Rock attorney David Couch, would &lt;a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/10/26/attorney-general-approves-proposal-for-independent-redistricting-commission"&gt;establish&lt;/a&gt; an independent citizens' redistricting commission. Passage of this proposal would change the redistricting process for 2021.

- This proposed amendment would create an independent seven-member commission. Four members (two per party) would be appointed by the state legislative leadership, and those four members would select three unaffiliated commissioners.

- The initiative would also prohibit partisanship in districting, protect minority groups, and require respect for communities of interest.

- Lastly, the commission would have to conduct at least one public hearing per congressional district with adequate notice. It also would create a website to publish all data used by the commission as well as draft maps, meeting transcripts, and copies of reports.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legal Challenge&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2011, the state legislative maps were sued by a state senator who alleged vote dilution. The map lowered the black voting age population in his district from 58% to 53%. The Court found no legal issue, holding that the reduction was an unfortunate consequence, not a product of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act nor intentional discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Proposed Reform&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Arkansas currently has single-party control over redistricting. A constitutional amendment could replace the current process with a commission. A proposed redistricting initiative, sponsored by Little Rock attorney David Couch, would &lt;a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/10/26/attorney-general-approves-proposal-for-independent-redistricting-commission"&gt;establish&lt;/a&gt; an independent citizens' redistricting commission. Passage of this proposal would change the redistricting process for 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This proposed amendment would create an independent seven-member commission. Four members (two per party) would be appointed by the state legislative leadership, and those four members would select three unaffiliated commissioners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The initiative would also prohibit partisanship in districting, protect minority groups, and require respect for communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lastly, the commission would have to conduct at least one public hearing per congressional district with adequate notice. It also would create a website to publish all data used by the commission as well as draft maps, meeting transcripts, and copies of reports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legal Challenge&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In 2011, the state legislative maps were sued by a state senator who alleged vote dilution. The map lowered the black voting age population in his district from 58% to 53%. The Court found no legal issue, holding that the reduction was an unfortunate consequence, not a product of vote dilution under the Voting Rights Act nor intentional discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Proposed Reform&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Arkansas currently has single-party control over redistricting. A constitutional amendment could replace the current process with a commission. A proposed redistricting initiative, sponsored by Little Rock attorney David Couch, would &lt;a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/10/26/attorney-general-approves-proposal-for-independent-redistricting-commission"&gt;establish&lt;/a&gt; an independent citizens' redistricting commission. Passage of this proposal would change the redistricting process for 2021.

- This proposed amendment would create an independent seven-member commission. Four members (two per party) would be appointed by the state legislative leadership, and those four members would select three unaffiliated commissioners.

- The initiative would also prohibit partisanship in districting, protect minority groups, and require respect for communities of interest.

- Lastly, the commission would have to conduct at least one public hearing per congressional district with adequate notice. It also would create a website to publish all data used by the commission as well as draft maps, meeting transcripts, and copies of reports.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwv-arkansas.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Arkansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.acluarkansas.org/"&gt;ACLU of Arkansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by apportionment board</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 19 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>California</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain California redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ca/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov"&gt;California Citizens Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov/index.html"&gt;Shape California\'s Future&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.localredistricting.org/"&gt;California Local Redistricting Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/california/"&gt;California Common Cause&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvc.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of California&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, California is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;California\'s state legislative and congressional maps are drawn by an Independent Commission of citizens, selected through a rigorous process to reduce partisan influences. The application process for this Commission ended in late 2019. The State Auditor\'s Applicant Review Panel (ARP) will begin scheduling and conducting interviews of the 120 most qualified applicants between February and April 2020. In mid-April through May, the ARP will choose 60 applicants and send them to the Legislature. By the end of June, the Legislature gets to use 24 "strikes" to remove certain applicants. By July 5, 2020, the Auditor will randomly select the first eight commissioners from the final list of 36, and these eight will then select the remaining six. A final plan must be drafted by September 15, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, California law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate for office, or political party.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Throughout the process, the Commission must receive broad public input, both before and after drafting district maps. Such draft maps must be released by July 1, 2021 and available for 14 days. Another draft map may not be released within this period. In 2011, public hearings occurred across the state between April 9 and July 29.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'CA', 'actions': 'Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain California redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ca/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': "[California Citizens Commission](http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov)\r\n\r\n[Shape California's Future](https://shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov/index.html)\r\n\r\n[California Local Redistricting Project](http://www.localredistricting.org/)\r\n\r\n[California Common Cause](https://www.commoncause.org/california/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of California](https://lwvc.org/)", 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, California is estimated to lose one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 7, 21, 15, 39, 133099, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/CA', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'California', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': 'California\'s state legislative and congressional maps are drawn by an Independent Commission of citizens, selected through a rigorous process to reduce partisan influences. The application process for this Commission ended in late 2019. The State Auditor\'s Applicant Review Panel (ARP) will begin scheduling and conducting interviews of the 120 most qualified applicants between February and April 2020. In mid-April through May, the ARP will choose 60 applicants and send them to the Legislature. By the end of June, the Legislature gets to use 24 "strikes" to remove certain applicants. By July 5, 2020, the Auditor will randomly select the first eight commissioners from the final list of 36, and these eight will then select the remaining six. A final plan must be drafted by September 15, 2021.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, California law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate for office, or political party.\r\n\r\nThroughout the process, the Commission must receive broad public input, both before and after drafting district maps. Such draft maps must be released by July 1, 2021 and available for 14 days. Another draft map may not be released within this period. In 2011, public hearings occurred across the state between April 9 and July 29.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CA</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain California redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ca/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain California redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ca/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>California's state legislative and congressional maps are drawn by an Independent Commission of citizens, selected through a rigorous process to reduce partisan influences. The application process for this Commission ended in late 2019. The State Auditor's Applicant Review Panel (ARP) will begin scheduling and conducting interviews of the 120 most qualified applicants between February and April 2020. In mid-April through May, the ARP will choose 60 applicants and send them to the Legislature. By the end of June, the Legislature gets to use 24 "strikes" to remove certain applicants. By July 5, 2020, the Auditor will randomly select the first eight commissioners from the final list of 36, and these eight will then select the remaining six. A final plan must be drafted by September 15, 2021.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, California law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate for office, or political party.

Throughout the process, the Commission must receive broad public input, both before and after drafting district maps. Such draft maps must be released by July 1, 2021 and available for 14 days. Another draft map may not be released within this period. In 2011, public hearings occurred across the state between April 9 and July 29.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;California's state legislative and congressional maps are drawn by an Independent Commission of citizens, selected through a rigorous process to reduce partisan influences. The application process for this Commission ended in late 2019. The State Auditor's Applicant Review Panel (ARP) will begin scheduling and conducting interviews of the 120 most qualified applicants between February and April 2020. In mid-April through May, the ARP will choose 60 applicants and send them to the Legislature. By the end of June, the Legislature gets to use 24 "strikes" to remove certain applicants. By July 5, 2020, the Auditor will randomly select the first eight commissioners from the final list of 36, and these eight will then select the remaining six. A final plan must be drafted by September 15, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, California law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate for office, or political party.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Throughout the process, the Commission must receive broad public input, both before and after drafting district maps. Such draft maps must be released by July 1, 2021 and available for 14 days. Another draft map may not be released within this period. In 2011, public hearings occurred across the state between April 9 and July 29.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, California is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, California is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, California is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov"&gt;California Citizens Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov/index.html"&gt;Shape California's Future&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.localredistricting.org/"&gt;California Local Redistricting Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/california/"&gt;California Common Cause&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvc.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of California&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 07 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Colorado</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CO</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/co/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.colorado.gov/cga-redistrict"&gt;Government\'s "Redistricting in Colorado" Webpage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvcolorado.org/lwv/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Colorado&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/"&gt;Colorado Common Cause&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Representation of communities of interest and minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Colorado is poised to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Commissions&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Colorado's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by two separate independent redistricting commissions.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By January 18, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 1, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By March 1, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 45 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By January 25, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 15, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;By March 16, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 113 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 15, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Colorado law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Additionally, for state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Both of these commissions will have the same public input requirements but with different deadlines. Within 20 days of convening, each commission shall receive written comment about preliminary maps and about communities of interest. Both commissions must also conduct at least three public hearings in each congressional district and accept public comment through their websites. The public hearing deadline for the congressional commission is July 7, 2021. The deadline for the state legislative commission is July 21, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'CO', 'actions': 'Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/co/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Government\'s "Redistricting in Colorado" Webpage](https://www.colorado.gov/cga-redistrict)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Colorado](http://lwvcolorado.org/lwv/)\r\n\r\n[Colorado Common Cause](https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Representation of communities of interest and minority groups.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Colorado is poised to gain one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 17, 19, 25, 23, 829572, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/CO', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Colorado', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Commissions&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nBeginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Colorado's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by two separate independent redistricting commissions.\r\n\r\n&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\n- By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.\r\n\r\n- By January 18, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 1, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.\r\n\r\n- By March 1, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 45 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 1, 2021.\r\n\r\n&lt;u&gt;Legislative&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\n- By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.\r\n\r\n- By January 25, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 15, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.\r\n\r\n- By March 16, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 113 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 15, 2021.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Colorado law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Additionally, for state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nBoth of these commissions will have the same public input requirements but with different deadlines. Within 20 days of convening, each commission shall receive written comment about preliminary maps and about communities of interest. Both commissions must also conduct at least three public hearings in each congressional district and accept public comment through their websites. The public hearing deadline for the congressional commission is July 7, 2021. The deadline for the state legislative commission is July 21, 2021.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CO</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/co/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/co/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Commissions&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Colorado's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by two separate independent redistricting commissions.

&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/u&gt;

- By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.

- By January 18, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 1, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.

- By March 1, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 45 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 1, 2021.

&lt;u&gt;Legislative&lt;/u&gt;

- By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.

- By January 25, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 15, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.

- By March 16, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 113 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 15, 2021.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Colorado law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Additionally, for state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

Both of these commissions will have the same public input requirements but with different deadlines. Within 20 days of convening, each commission shall receive written comment about preliminary maps and about communities of interest. Both commissions must also conduct at least three public hearings in each congressional district and accept public comment through their websites. The public hearing deadline for the congressional commission is July 7, 2021. The deadline for the state legislative commission is July 21, 2021.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Commissions&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Colorado's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by two separate independent redistricting commissions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By January 18, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 1, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By March 1, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 45 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By August 10, 2020, the nonpartisan staff shall hold one or more public hearings to guide the creation of an application process. All applications must be submitted by November 10, 2020, and these will be reviewed by a panel of three retired state judges. The staff will remove ineligible applications by January 11.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By January 25, 2021, the retired judges shall select 300 applicants from the two major parties and 450 who do not affiliate with either. By February 15, 2021, the panel will cut these applicants to 50 per party and 50 not affiliated with either, and these applicants must demonstrate certain skills. Separately, by February 16, the four legislative leaders will each submit a list of ten applicants from the original applicant pool who affiliate with one of the two major parties. Each congressional district must be represented in the panel's and the leadership's pools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By March 16, the panel of judges will select four commissioners from each major party and four unaffiliated with either. Their selections must come from the randomized pool and the legislative leaders' pools. By March 30, the Commission must be convened by the Governor, and its initial plan must be released 113 days after the commission is convened or after census data is available, whichever is later. There must be a final plan by September 15, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Colorado law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Additionally, for state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Both of these commissions will have the same public input requirements but with different deadlines. Within 20 days of convening, each commission shall receive written comment about preliminary maps and about communities of interest. Both commissions must also conduct at least three public hearings in each congressional district and accept public comment through their websites. The public hearing deadline for the congressional commission is July 7, 2021. The deadline for the state legislative commission is July 21, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Representation of communities of interest and minority groups.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Colorado is poised to gain one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Representation of communities of interest and minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Colorado is poised to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Representation of communities of interest and minority groups.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Colorado is poised to gain one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.colorado.gov/cga-redistrict"&gt;Government's "Redistricting in Colorado" Webpage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvcolorado.org/lwv/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Colorado&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/"&gt;Colorado Common Cause&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 17 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Connecticut</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CT</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Urge the Secretary of State to improve the state\'s process for receiving public comment on maps. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Connecticut redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ct/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/connecticut"&gt;League of Women Voters of Connecticut&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/connecticut/"&gt;Common Cause Connecticut&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has supermajorities in the Legislature when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/national-association-advancement-colored-people-v-merrill"&gt;NAACP v. Merrill&lt;/a&gt;) has been filed challenging prison gerrymandering in Connecticut as a violation of one person, one vote. In Connecticut (and other states), prisoners are counted as residents of the districts where their prisons are located as opposed to being counted as residents of their home address.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Connecticut's Legislature has the primary responsibility of drawing state legislative and congressional district lines. A supermajority of two-thirds of each chamber is required to adopt a district plan. If the Legislature fails to adopt a plan for any chamber, the lines will be drawn by a nine-member backup Commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Connecticut law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'CT', 'actions': 'Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Urge the Secretary of State to improve the state\'s process for receiving public comment on maps. \r\n\r\n- Obtain Connecticut redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ct/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Connecticut](https://my.lwv.org/connecticut)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Connecticut](https://www.commoncause.org/connecticut/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has supermajorities in the Legislature when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.\r\n\r\nA case ([NAACP v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/national-association-advancement-colored-people-v-merrill)) has been filed challenging prison gerrymandering in Connecticut as a violation of one person, one vote. In Connecticut (and other states), prisoners are counted as residents of the districts where their prisons are located as opposed to being counted as residents of their home address.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 1, 15, 28, 39, 825987, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/CT', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Connecticut', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Connecticut's Legislature has the primary responsibility of drawing state legislative and congressional district lines. A supermajority of two-thirds of each chamber is required to adopt a district plan. If the Legislature fails to adopt a plan for any chamber, the lines will be drawn by a nine-member backup Commission.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Connecticut law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/CT</guid><actions>Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Urge the Secretary of State to improve the state's process for receiving public comment on maps. 

- Obtain Connecticut redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ct/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Urge the Secretary of State to improve the state's process for receiving public comment on maps. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Connecticut redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ct/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Connecticut's Legislature has the primary responsibility of drawing state legislative and congressional district lines. A supermajority of two-thirds of each chamber is required to adopt a district plan. If the Legislature fails to adopt a plan for any chamber, the lines will be drawn by a nine-member backup Commission.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Connecticut law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Connecticut's Legislature has the primary responsibility of drawing state legislative and congressional district lines. A supermajority of two-thirds of each chamber is required to adopt a district plan. If the Legislature fails to adopt a plan for any chamber, the lines will be drawn by a nine-member backup Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Connecticut law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has supermajorities in the Legislature when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

A case ([NAACP v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/national-association-advancement-colored-people-v-merrill)) has been filed challenging prison gerrymandering in Connecticut as a violation of one person, one vote. In Connecticut (and other states), prisoners are counted as residents of the districts where their prisons are located as opposed to being counted as residents of their home address.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has supermajorities in the Legislature when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/national-association-advancement-colored-people-v-merrill"&gt;NAACP v. Merrill&lt;/a&gt;) has been filed challenging prison gerrymandering in Connecticut as a violation of one person, one vote. In Connecticut (and other states), prisoners are counted as residents of the districts where their prisons are located as opposed to being counted as residents of their home address.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has supermajorities in the Legislature when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

A case ([NAACP v. Merrill](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/national-association-advancement-colored-people-v-merrill)) has been filed challenging prison gerrymandering in Connecticut as a violation of one person, one vote. In Connecticut (and other states), prisoners are counted as residents of the districts where their prisons are located as opposed to being counted as residents of their home address.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/connecticut"&gt;League of Women Voters of Connecticut&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/connecticut/"&gt;Common Cause Connecticut&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 01 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Delaware</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/DE</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Delaware redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/de/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment, which is accepted in written format.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/delaware/"&gt;Common Cause Delaware&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvdelaware.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Delaware&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Democratic win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Republican win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Delaware's legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths majority in each chamber. Delaware has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Delaware law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous. Unduly favoring or disfavoring a person or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'DE', 'actions': 'In 2020, support candidates who advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Delaware redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/de/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment, which is accepted in written format.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Delaware](https://www.commoncause.org/delaware/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Delaware](http://lwvdelaware.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Democratic win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Republican win will lead to bipartisan control.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 17, 28, 27, 2537, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/DE', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Delaware', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Delaware's legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths majority in each chamber. Delaware has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Delaware law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous. Unduly favoring or disfavoring a person or party is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/DE</guid><actions>In 2020, support candidates who advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Delaware redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/de/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment, which is accepted in written format.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Delaware redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/de/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment, which is accepted in written format.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Delaware's legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths majority in each chamber. Delaware has only one at-large congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Delaware law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous. Unduly favoring or disfavoring a person or party is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Delaware's legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths majority in each chamber. Delaware has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Delaware law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous. Unduly favoring or disfavoring a person or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Democratic win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Republican win will lead to bipartisan control.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Democratic win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Republican win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Democratic win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Republican win will lead to bipartisan control.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/delaware/"&gt;Common Cause Delaware&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvdelaware.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Delaware&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Florida</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/FL</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support bills and initiatives that build upon the reform movement started last cycle with the Fair Districts Amendments.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;One concrete action is to support a ballot initiative to Florida\'s ballot to create an independent citizens\' redistricting commission. This will prevent gerrymanders from being committed in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Extreme plans can favor one party or the other, or severely hinder the representation of racial and ethnic communities.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;One remedy is to make sure that public input is as effective as possible through data and technology (for instance, using public input tools such as Representable.org), so that legislators will have communities of interest easily available to them.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;To that end, a bill has been introduced (SB252) to expand public access to draft plans by revising a section of Florida’s public records law.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Another remedy is to achieve split-party control of government. Florida currently has single-party government under Republicans.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 election, this can be done in the 2020 election by changing 14 state House seats. The win margins in the 14 closest Republican-won seats in 2018 averaged about 2,100 votes.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;As a comparison, Amendment 4 potentially restores voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians - an average of 12,000 per House district. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Florida redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/fl/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvfl.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Florida&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/florida/"&gt;Common Cause Florida&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.floridaelectoralreform.org/"&gt;Florida Initiative for Electoral Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://electionscience.clas.ufl.edu/"&gt;Florida Election Science Team (FEST)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.publicmapping.org/"&gt;Public Mapping Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when a community is packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, it may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Despite constitutional prohibitions, unified party control of Florida\'s government may lead to an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering. In the post-2010 cycle, the principal avenue for fair districts in Florida was the state Supreme Court – and this route was partially successful in 2011. In 2021, however, the Court’s composition will be very different.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;During the review of state legislative districts by the state Supreme Court in 2012, it ordered that eight state Senate districts be redrawn because of inferred partisan intent. This case was Florida\'s first under its Fair Districts Amendments. A few weeks later, the Legislature adopted a new Senate plan that was upheld by the Court.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2014, plaintiffs challenged the validity of the 2012 congressional plan for a multitude of reasons, including partisan intent, incumbent protection, and minority packing. A final ruling was delayed due to disputes about evidence and discovery, but eventually, two districts were ordered redrawn. The Legislature drew a remedial plan, which was approved by the lower court.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;On appeal, however, the state Supreme Court held that the trial court improperly reviewed the initial challenge and ordered that eight districts, rather than two, be redrawn. Five of these showed partisan intent while three were noncompact or failed to following political and geographic boundaries. The Legislature failed to enact a remedial plan, so in late 2015, the state Supreme Court approved a map that had been adopted by the trial court.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Following this holding, the state Senate voluntarily offered to redraw its previously revised map, believing that it violated the law in a way similar to the congressional one. A special session of the Legislature failed to produce a new Senate map, and the court adopted one of the plaintiffs\' maps.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Florida is estimated to gain two congressional seats.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;In terms of representation, an unfairly drawn plan can have three to six times the effect of even the worst Census undercount. Therefore additional steps are necessary to increase the likelihood of a plan that is responsive to voters.&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Florida was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Florida was required to receive pre-approval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Floridians are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Florida's congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Florida's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by joint resolution, which are not subject to the Governor's veto. Within 15 days, these plans are sent to the state Supreme Court to ensure that they meet the state's redistricting standards. If they do not, the legislature gets a second chance to draw plans. If the state Supreme Court again finds that the plans are invalid, the Court will have 60 days to draw its own maps. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Florida law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. As a result of the Fair Districts Amendments, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or political party is also prohibited. The Amendments also codified VRA-type language into the Florida Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;While Florida law does not require public hearings, the state held such hearings between June 20 and August 31 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule. Additionally, public map submissions were accepted until November 1, 2011, and overall, 153 public maps were submitted.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'FL', 'actions': "Support bills and initiatives that build upon the reform movement started last cycle with the Fair Districts Amendments.\r\n\r\nOne concrete action is to support a ballot initiative to Florida's ballot to create an independent citizens' redistricting commission. This will prevent gerrymanders from being committed in the first place.\r\n\r\nExtreme plans can favor one party or the other, or severely hinder the representation of racial and ethnic communities.\r\n\r\n- One remedy is to make sure that public input is as effective as possible through data and technology (for instance, using public input tools such as Representable.org), so that legislators will have communities of interest easily available to them.\r\n\r\n- To that end, a bill has been introduced (SB252) to expand public access to draft plans by revising a section of Florida’s public records law.\r\n\r\nAnother remedy is to achieve split-party control of government. Florida currently has single-party government under Republicans.\r\n\r\n- In the 2020 election, this can be done in the 2020 election by changing 14 state House seats. The win margins in the 14 closest Republican-won seats in 2018 averaged about 2,100 votes.\r\n\r\n- As a comparison, Amendment 4 potentially restores voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians - an average of 12,000 per House district. \r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Florida redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/fl/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': 3, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Florida](https://www.lwvfl.org/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Florida](https://www.commoncause.org/florida/)\r\n\r\n[Florida Initiative for Electoral Reform](http://www.floridaelectoralreform.org/)\r\n\r\n[Florida Election Science Team (FEST)](https://electionscience.clas.ufl.edu/)\r\n\r\n[Public Mapping Project](http://www.publicmapping.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when a community is packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, it may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.\r\n\r\nDespite constitutional prohibitions, unified party control of Florida's government may lead to an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering. In the post-2010 cycle, the principal avenue for fair districts in Florida was the state Supreme Court – and this route was partially successful in 2011. In 2021, however, the Court’s composition will be very different.\r\n\r\n- During the review of state legislative districts by the state Supreme Court in 2012, it ordered that eight state Senate districts be redrawn because of inferred partisan intent. This case was Florida's first under its Fair Districts Amendments. A few weeks later, the Legislature adopted a new Senate plan that was upheld by the Court.\r\n\r\n- In 2014, plaintiffs challenged the validity of the 2012 congressional plan for a multitude of reasons, including partisan intent, incumbent protection, and minority packing. A final ruling was delayed due to disputes about evidence and discovery, but eventually, two districts were ordered redrawn. The Legislature drew a remedial plan, which was approved by the lower court.\r\n\r\n- On appeal, however, the state Supreme Court held that the trial court improperly reviewed the initial challenge and ordered that eight districts, rather than two, be redrawn. Five of these showed partisan intent while three were noncompact or failed to following political and geographic boundaries. The Legislature failed to enact a remedial plan, so in late 2015, the state Supreme Court approved a map that had been adopted by the trial court.\r\n\r\n- Following this holding, the state Senate voluntarily offered to redraw its previously revised map, believing that it violated the law in a way similar to the congressional one. A special session of the Legislature failed to produce a new Senate map, and the court adopted one of the plaintiffs' maps.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Florida is estimated to gain two congressional seats.\r\n\r\n- In terms of representation, an unfairly drawn plan can have three to six times the effect of even the worst Census undercount. Therefore additional steps are necessary to increase the likelihood of a plan that is responsive to voters.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 19, 16, 39, 7, 144768, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/FL', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Florida', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Florida was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Florida was required to receive pre-approval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Floridians are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nFlorida's congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nFlorida's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by joint resolution, which are not subject to the Governor's veto. Within 15 days, these plans are sent to the state Supreme Court to ensure that they meet the state's redistricting standards. If they do not, the legislature gets a second chance to draw plans. If the state Supreme Court again finds that the plans are invalid, the Court will have 60 days to draw its own maps. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Florida law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. As a result of the Fair Districts Amendments, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or political party is also prohibited. The Amendments also codified VRA-type language into the Florida Constitution.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nWhile Florida law does not require public hearings, the state held such hearings between June 20 and August 31 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule. Additionally, public map submissions were accepted until November 1, 2011, and overall, 153 public maps were submitted.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/FL</guid><actions>Support bills and initiatives that build upon the reform movement started last cycle with the Fair Districts Amendments.

One concrete action is to support a ballot initiative to Florida's ballot to create an independent citizens' redistricting commission. This will prevent gerrymanders from being committed in the first place.

Extreme plans can favor one party or the other, or severely hinder the representation of racial and ethnic communities.

- One remedy is to make sure that public input is as effective as possible through data and technology (for instance, using public input tools such as Representable.org), so that legislators will have communities of interest easily available to them.

- To that end, a bill has been introduced (SB252) to expand public access to draft plans by revising a section of Florida’s public records law.

Another remedy is to achieve split-party control of government. Florida currently has single-party government under Republicans.

- In the 2020 election, this can be done in the 2020 election by changing 14 state House seats. The win margins in the 14 closest Republican-won seats in 2018 averaged about 2,100 votes.

- As a comparison, Amendment 4 potentially restores voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians - an average of 12,000 per House district. 

In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Florida redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/fl/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support bills and initiatives that build upon the reform movement started last cycle with the Fair Districts Amendments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One concrete action is to support a ballot initiative to Florida's ballot to create an independent citizens' redistricting commission. This will prevent gerrymanders from being committed in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Extreme plans can favor one party or the other, or severely hinder the representation of racial and ethnic communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One remedy is to make sure that public input is as effective as possible through data and technology (for instance, using public input tools such as Representable.org), so that legislators will have communities of interest easily available to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To that end, a bill has been introduced (SB252) to expand public access to draft plans by revising a section of Florida’s public records law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Another remedy is to achieve split-party control of government. Florida currently has single-party government under Republicans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 election, this can be done in the 2020 election by changing 14 state House seats. The win margins in the 14 closest Republican-won seats in 2018 averaged about 2,100 votes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a comparison, Amendment 4 potentially restores voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians - an average of 12,000 per House district. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Florida redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/fl/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Florida's congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Florida's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by joint resolution, which are not subject to the Governor's veto. Within 15 days, these plans are sent to the state Supreme Court to ensure that they meet the state's redistricting standards. If they do not, the legislature gets a second chance to draw plans. If the state Supreme Court again finds that the plans are invalid, the Court will have 60 days to draw its own maps. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Florida law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. As a result of the Fair Districts Amendments, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or political party is also prohibited. The Amendments also codified VRA-type language into the Florida Constitution.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

While Florida law does not require public hearings, the state held such hearings between June 20 and August 31 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule. Additionally, public map submissions were accepted until November 1, 2011, and overall, 153 public maps were submitted.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Congressional&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Florida's congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;State Legislative&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Florida's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by joint resolution, which are not subject to the Governor's veto. Within 15 days, these plans are sent to the state Supreme Court to ensure that they meet the state's redistricting standards. If they do not, the legislature gets a second chance to draw plans. If the state Supreme Court again finds that the plans are invalid, the Court will have 60 days to draw its own maps. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 120 days before the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Florida law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. As a result of the Fair Districts Amendments, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or political party is also prohibited. The Amendments also codified VRA-type language into the Florida Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While Florida law does not require public hearings, the state held such hearings between June 20 and August 31 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule. Additionally, public map submissions were accepted until November 1, 2011, and overall, 153 public maps were submitted.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when a community is packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, it may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

Despite constitutional prohibitions, unified party control of Florida's government may lead to an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering. In the post-2010 cycle, the principal avenue for fair districts in Florida was the state Supreme Court – and this route was partially successful in 2011. In 2021, however, the Court’s composition will be very different.

- During the review of state legislative districts by the state Supreme Court in 2012, it ordered that eight state Senate districts be redrawn because of inferred partisan intent. This case was Florida's first under its Fair Districts Amendments. A few weeks later, the Legislature adopted a new Senate plan that was upheld by the Court.

- In 2014, plaintiffs challenged the validity of the 2012 congressional plan for a multitude of reasons, including partisan intent, incumbent protection, and minority packing. A final ruling was delayed due to disputes about evidence and discovery, but eventually, two districts were ordered redrawn. The Legislature drew a remedial plan, which was approved by the lower court.

- On appeal, however, the state Supreme Court held that the trial court improperly reviewed the initial challenge and ordered that eight districts, rather than two, be redrawn. Five of these showed partisan intent while three were noncompact or failed to following political and geographic boundaries. The Legislature failed to enact a remedial plan, so in late 2015, the state Supreme Court approved a map that had been adopted by the trial court.

- Following this holding, the state Senate voluntarily offered to redraw its previously revised map, believing that it violated the law in a way similar to the congressional one. A special session of the Legislature failed to produce a new Senate map, and the court adopted one of the plaintiffs' maps.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Florida is estimated to gain two congressional seats.

- In terms of representation, an unfairly drawn plan can have three to six times the effect of even the worst Census undercount. Therefore additional steps are necessary to increase the likelihood of a plan that is responsive to voters.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when a community is packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, it may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Despite constitutional prohibitions, unified party control of Florida's government may lead to an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering. In the post-2010 cycle, the principal avenue for fair districts in Florida was the state Supreme Court – and this route was partially successful in 2011. In 2021, however, the Court’s composition will be very different.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;During the review of state legislative districts by the state Supreme Court in 2012, it ordered that eight state Senate districts be redrawn because of inferred partisan intent. This case was Florida's first under its Fair Districts Amendments. A few weeks later, the Legislature adopted a new Senate plan that was upheld by the Court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2014, plaintiffs challenged the validity of the 2012 congressional plan for a multitude of reasons, including partisan intent, incumbent protection, and minority packing. A final ruling was delayed due to disputes about evidence and discovery, but eventually, two districts were ordered redrawn. The Legislature drew a remedial plan, which was approved by the lower court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On appeal, however, the state Supreme Court held that the trial court improperly reviewed the initial challenge and ordered that eight districts, rather than two, be redrawn. Five of these showed partisan intent while three were noncompact or failed to following political and geographic boundaries. The Legislature failed to enact a remedial plan, so in late 2015, the state Supreme Court approved a map that had been adopted by the trial court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Following this holding, the state Senate voluntarily offered to redraw its previously revised map, believing that it violated the law in a way similar to the congressional one. A special session of the Legislature failed to produce a new Senate map, and the court adopted one of the plaintiffs' maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Florida is estimated to gain two congressional seats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In terms of representation, an unfairly drawn plan can have three to six times the effect of even the worst Census undercount. Therefore additional steps are necessary to increase the likelihood of a plan that is responsive to voters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when a community is packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, it may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

Despite constitutional prohibitions, unified party control of Florida's government may lead to an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering. In the post-2010 cycle, the principal avenue for fair districts in Florida was the state Supreme Court – and this route was partially successful in 2011. In 2021, however, the Court’s composition will be very different.

- During the review of state legislative districts by the state Supreme Court in 2012, it ordered that eight state Senate districts be redrawn because of inferred partisan intent. This case was Florida's first under its Fair Districts Amendments. A few weeks later, the Legislature adopted a new Senate plan that was upheld by the Court.

- In 2014, plaintiffs challenged the validity of the 2012 congressional plan for a multitude of reasons, including partisan intent, incumbent protection, and minority packing. A final ruling was delayed due to disputes about evidence and discovery, but eventually, two districts were ordered redrawn. The Legislature drew a remedial plan, which was approved by the lower court.

- On appeal, however, the state Supreme Court held that the trial court improperly reviewed the initial challenge and ordered that eight districts, rather than two, be redrawn. Five of these showed partisan intent while three were noncompact or failed to following political and geographic boundaries. The Legislature failed to enact a remedial plan, so in late 2015, the state Supreme Court approved a map that had been adopted by the trial court.

- Following this holding, the state Senate voluntarily offered to redraw its previously revised map, believing that it violated the law in a way similar to the congressional one. A special session of the Legislature failed to produce a new Senate map, and the court adopted one of the plaintiffs' maps.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Florida is estimated to gain two congressional seats.

- In terms of representation, an unfairly drawn plan can have three to six times the effect of even the worst Census undercount. Therefore additional steps are necessary to increase the likelihood of a plan that is responsive to voters.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvfl.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Florida&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/florida/"&gt;Common Cause Florida&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.floridaelectoralreform.org/"&gt;Florida Initiative for Electoral Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://electionscience.clas.ufl.edu/"&gt;Florida Election Science Team (FEST)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.publicmapping.org/"&gt;Public Mapping Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 19 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Georgia</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/GA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Georgia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ga/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed in the next redistricting cycle, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairdistrictsga.org/home"&gt;Fair Districts Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/georgia"&gt;League of Women Voters of Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://georgiavotes.com/"&gt;Georgia Votes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/georgia/"&gt;Common Cause Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Georgia poses a challenge for advocates of fair districting. Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans, and there is no initiative process. This means that any redistricting reform will have to pass through the General Assembly.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The General Assembly itself has not shied away from redistricting fights. It redrew some state House districts in 2012 and 2015, with the latter occurring without Section 5\'s preclearance requirement and leading to two lawsuits (later consolidated as &lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/NAACP-Thompson_v_Kemp_Opinion-and-Order_06.01.18.pdf"&gt;Thompson v. Kemp&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A third attempt at mid-decade redistricting occurred in 2017, but this measure &lt;a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177888691.html"&gt;died in the state Senate&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If single-party control remains when it is time to draw new maps in 2021, there will be an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/dwight-v-raffensperger"&gt;Dwight v. Raffensperger&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered by a federal court. The case challenges Georgia\'s 12th congressional district as allegedly diluting the votes of black voters in southeastern Georgia by cracking the population.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Georgia was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Georgia was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Georgians are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Line-drawing Power&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Georgia\'s state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetos with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 11 weeks prior to the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Georgia law requires that state legislative be contiguous. The legislative guidelines for the 2011-12 redistricting &lt;a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/2egd5vpo0djzqt5/GeorgiaHouseCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf"&gt;House&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8zqyivtr8iozs8/GeorgiaSenateCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf"&gt;Senate&lt;/a&gt; committees required that the maps avoid the "unnecessary pairing of incumbents" and consider compactness, political subdivisions, and communities of interest. However, these guidelines specify that they were not meant to limit the committees\' consideration of other factors.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;While Georgia law does not require public hearings, such hearings were held between May 16 and June 30 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'GA', 'actions': 'Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Georgia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ga/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.\r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed in the next redistricting cycle, federal and state lawsuits.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Fair Districts Georgia](https://www.fairdistrictsga.org/home)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Georgia](https://my.lwv.org/georgia)\r\n\r\n[Georgia Votes](http://georgiavotes.com/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Georgia](https://www.commoncause.org/georgia/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "Georgia poses a challenge for advocates of fair districting. Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans, and there is no initiative process. This means that any redistricting reform will have to pass through the General Assembly.\r\n\r\n- The General Assembly itself has not shied away from redistricting fights. It redrew some state House districts in 2012 and 2015, with the latter occurring without Section 5's preclearance requirement and leading to two lawsuits (later consolidated as [Thompson v. Kemp](https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/NAACP-Thompson_v_Kemp_Opinion-and-Order_06.01.18.pdf)).\r\n\r\n- A third attempt at mid-decade redistricting occurred in 2017, but this measure [died in the state Senate](https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177888691.html).\r\n\r\nIf single-party control remains when it is time to draw new maps in 2021, there will be an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.\r\n\r\nA Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Dwight v. Raffensperger](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/dwight-v-raffensperger)) is being considered by a federal court. The case challenges Georgia's 12th congressional district as allegedly diluting the votes of black voters in southeastern Georgia by cracking the population.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 19, 19, 46, 55, 335859, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/GA', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Georgia', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Georgia was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Georgia was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Georgians are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': '&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Line-drawing Power&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nGeorgia\'s state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetos with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 11 weeks prior to the 2022 primary.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Georgia law requires that state legislative be contiguous. The legislative guidelines for the 2011-12 redistricting [House](https://www.dropbox.com/s/2egd5vpo0djzqt5/GeorgiaHouseCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf) and [Senate](https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8zqyivtr8iozs8/GeorgiaSenateCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf) committees required that the maps avoid the "unnecessary pairing of incumbents" and consider compactness, political subdivisions, and communities of interest. However, these guidelines specify that they were not meant to limit the committees\' consideration of other factors.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nWhile Georgia law does not require public hearings, such hearings were held between May 16 and June 30 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/GA</guid><actions>Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Georgia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ga/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.

If racial or partisan offenses are committed in the next redistricting cycle, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Georgia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ga/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed in the next redistricting cycle, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Line-drawing Power&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

Georgia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetos with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 11 weeks prior to the 2022 primary.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Georgia law requires that state legislative be contiguous. The legislative guidelines for the 2011-12 redistricting [House](https://www.dropbox.com/s/2egd5vpo0djzqt5/GeorgiaHouseCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf) and [Senate](https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8zqyivtr8iozs8/GeorgiaSenateCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf) committees required that the maps avoid the "unnecessary pairing of incumbents" and consider compactness, political subdivisions, and communities of interest. However, these guidelines specify that they were not meant to limit the committees' consideration of other factors.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

While Georgia law does not require public hearings, such hearings were held between May 16 and June 30 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Line-drawing Power&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Georgia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetos with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Final plans must be approved by the 2022 candidate filing deadline, which is 11 weeks prior to the 2022 primary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Georgia law requires that state legislative be contiguous. The legislative guidelines for the 2011-12 redistricting &lt;a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/2egd5vpo0djzqt5/GeorgiaHouseCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf"&gt;House&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8zqyivtr8iozs8/GeorgiaSenateCommitteeGuidelines2011-12.pdf"&gt;Senate&lt;/a&gt; committees required that the maps avoid the "unnecessary pairing of incumbents" and consider compactness, political subdivisions, and communities of interest. However, these guidelines specify that they were not meant to limit the committees' consideration of other factors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While Georgia law does not require public hearings, such hearings were held between May 16 and June 30 in the 2011 cycle. Should hearings be held again in 2021, it will likely be on a similar schedule.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Georgia poses a challenge for advocates of fair districting. Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans, and there is no initiative process. This means that any redistricting reform will have to pass through the General Assembly.

- The General Assembly itself has not shied away from redistricting fights. It redrew some state House districts in 2012 and 2015, with the latter occurring without Section 5's preclearance requirement and leading to two lawsuits (later consolidated as [Thompson v. Kemp](https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/NAACP-Thompson_v_Kemp_Opinion-and-Order_06.01.18.pdf)).

- A third attempt at mid-decade redistricting occurred in 2017, but this measure [died in the state Senate](https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177888691.html).

If single-party control remains when it is time to draw new maps in 2021, there will be an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.

A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Dwight v. Raffensperger](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/dwight-v-raffensperger)) is being considered by a federal court. The case challenges Georgia's 12th congressional district as allegedly diluting the votes of black voters in southeastern Georgia by cracking the population.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Georgia poses a challenge for advocates of fair districting. Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans, and there is no initiative process. This means that any redistricting reform will have to pass through the General Assembly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The General Assembly itself has not shied away from redistricting fights. It redrew some state House districts in 2012 and 2015, with the latter occurring without Section 5's preclearance requirement and leading to two lawsuits (later consolidated as &lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/NAACP-Thompson_v_Kemp_Opinion-and-Order_06.01.18.pdf"&gt;Thompson v. Kemp&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A third attempt at mid-decade redistricting occurred in 2017, but this measure &lt;a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177888691.html"&gt;died in the state Senate&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If single-party control remains when it is time to draw new maps in 2021, there will be an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/dwight-v-raffensperger"&gt;Dwight v. Raffensperger&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered by a federal court. The case challenges Georgia's 12th congressional district as allegedly diluting the votes of black voters in southeastern Georgia by cracking the population.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Georgia poses a challenge for advocates of fair districting. Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans, and there is no initiative process. This means that any redistricting reform will have to pass through the General Assembly.

- The General Assembly itself has not shied away from redistricting fights. It redrew some state House districts in 2012 and 2015, with the latter occurring without Section 5's preclearance requirement and leading to two lawsuits (later consolidated as [Thompson v. Kemp](https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/NAACP-Thompson_v_Kemp_Opinion-and-Order_06.01.18.pdf)).

- A third attempt at mid-decade redistricting occurred in 2017, but this measure [died in the state Senate](https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article177888691.html).

If single-party control remains when it is time to draw new maps in 2021, there will be an increased risk of partisan and racial gerrymandering.

A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Dwight v. Raffensperger](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/dwight-v-raffensperger)) is being considered by a federal court. The case challenges Georgia's 12th congressional district as allegedly diluting the votes of black voters in southeastern Georgia by cracking the population.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairdistrictsga.org/home"&gt;Fair Districts Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/georgia"&gt;League of Women Voters of Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://georgiavotes.com/"&gt;Georgia Votes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/georgia/"&gt;Common Cause Georgia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 19 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Hawaii</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/HI</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Take advantage of Hawai\'i\'s extensive public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Hawai\'i redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/hi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/hawaii/"&gt;Common Cause Hawaii&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/hawaii"&gt;League of Women Voters of Hawaii&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Hawai'i has a partisan redistricting commission. Software may be available to submit plans, as it was in the previous cycle. Note that free software is being developed nationally.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Hawaii law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest. Unduly favoring or disfavoring an a person or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'HI', 'actions': 'Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. \r\n\r\nTake advantage of Hawai\'i\'s extensive public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Hawai\'i redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/hi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Hawaii](https://www.commoncause.org/hawaii/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Hawaii](https://my.lwv.org/hawaii)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Politician Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Politician Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'The success of this Commission will depend on public input.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 17, 4, 47, 579653, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/HI', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Hawaii', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Hawai'i has a partisan redistricting commission. Software may be available to submit plans, as it was in the previous cycle. Note that free software is being developed nationally.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Hawaii law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest. Unduly favoring or disfavoring an a person or party is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/HI</guid><actions>Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. 

Take advantage of Hawai'i's extensive public comment process.

- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Obtain Hawai'i redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/hi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Take advantage of Hawai'i's extensive public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Hawai'i redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/hi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Hawai'i has a partisan redistricting commission. Software may be available to submit plans, as it was in the previous cycle. Note that free software is being developed nationally.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Hawaii law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest. Unduly favoring or disfavoring an a person or party is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Hawai'i has a partisan redistricting commission. Software may be available to submit plans, as it was in the previous cycle. Note that free software is being developed nationally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Hawaii law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest. Unduly favoring or disfavoring an a person or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The success of this Commission will depend on public input.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The success of this Commission will depend on public input.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/hawaii/"&gt;Common Cause Hawaii&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/hawaii"&gt;League of Women Voters of Hawaii&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by politician commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by politician commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Idaho</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ID</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Idaho redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/id/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvid.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Idaho&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Idaho has only two congressional seats, so there is a low risk of redistricting issues there. However, redistricting of the state legislature still requires attention to ensure fair representation of minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Republican members of the state legislature are pushing to increase the number of legislative districts in the state. Right now, Idaho has 35 legislative districts, which is as much as the state constitution allows. The redistricting commission that will form in 2021 has the power to cut the number of districts down to the constitutional minimum of 30. There is potential for partisan gerrymandering by increasing the number of political districts in the state.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Idaho's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission which is evenly balanced between the two major parties. The Commission holds public meetings throughout the state while considering plans, and welcomes public input on how to draw districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Idaho law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Protecting a party or incumbent is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'ID', 'actions': 'Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Idaho redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/id/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Idaho](https://lwvid.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'Idaho has only two congressional seats, so there is a low risk of redistricting issues there. However, redistricting of the state legislature still requires attention to ensure fair representation of minority groups.\r\n\r\nRepublican members of the state legislature are pushing to increase the number of legislative districts in the state. Right now, Idaho has 35 legislative districts, which is as much as the state constitution allows. The redistricting commission that will form in 2021 has the power to cut the number of districts down to the constitutional minimum of 30. There is potential for partisan gerrymandering by increasing the number of political districts in the state.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 14, 21, 17, 28, 686930, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Idaho', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Idaho's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission which is evenly balanced between the two major parties. The Commission holds public meetings throughout the state while considering plans, and welcomes public input on how to draw districts.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Idaho law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Protecting a party or incumbent is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ID</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Idaho redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/id/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Idaho redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/id/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Idaho's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission which is evenly balanced between the two major parties. The Commission holds public meetings throughout the state while considering plans, and welcomes public input on how to draw districts.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Idaho law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Protecting a party or incumbent is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Idaho's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission which is evenly balanced between the two major parties. The Commission holds public meetings throughout the state while considering plans, and welcomes public input on how to draw districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Idaho law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Protecting a party or incumbent is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Idaho has only two congressional seats, so there is a low risk of redistricting issues there. However, redistricting of the state legislature still requires attention to ensure fair representation of minority groups.

Republican members of the state legislature are pushing to increase the number of legislative districts in the state. Right now, Idaho has 35 legislative districts, which is as much as the state constitution allows. The redistricting commission that will form in 2021 has the power to cut the number of districts down to the constitutional minimum of 30. There is potential for partisan gerrymandering by increasing the number of political districts in the state.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Idaho has only two congressional seats, so there is a low risk of redistricting issues there. However, redistricting of the state legislature still requires attention to ensure fair representation of minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Republican members of the state legislature are pushing to increase the number of legislative districts in the state. Right now, Idaho has 35 legislative districts, which is as much as the state constitution allows. The redistricting commission that will form in 2021 has the power to cut the number of districts down to the constitutional minimum of 30. There is potential for partisan gerrymandering by increasing the number of political districts in the state.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Idaho has only two congressional seats, so there is a low risk of redistricting issues there. However, redistricting of the state legislature still requires attention to ensure fair representation of minority groups.

Republican members of the state legislature are pushing to increase the number of legislative districts in the state. Right now, Idaho has 35 legislative districts, which is as much as the state constitution allows. The redistricting commission that will form in 2021 has the power to cut the number of districts down to the constitutional minimum of 30. There is potential for partisan gerrymandering by increasing the number of political districts in the state.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvid.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Idaho&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 14 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Illinois</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IL</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative or constitutional amendment to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf"&gt;Fair Maps Amendment&lt;/a&gt; has been proposed in the Illinois Legislature and has bipartisan support.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The proposed amendment would need to get a three-fifths vote in both houses before going before going to the voters in November.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to identify communities of interest and to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Illinois redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/il/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bettergov.org/"&gt;Better Government Association&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.changeil.org/"&gt;Change Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/illinois/"&gt;Common Cause Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvil.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Illinois has multiple opportunity-to-elect districts, drawn under the guidance of &lt;a href="http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf"&gt;state law&lt;/a&gt;, the Voting Rights Act, and the Constitution. Overall, Illinois does not set off statistical alarms for partisan gerrymandering. Even so, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has this same unified control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Illinois has a voter initiative process. Reform through such a process would reduce the risk of self-dealing by legislators. However, &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf"&gt;a constitutional amendment&lt;/a&gt; has been introduced in the General Assembly to create a 17-member independent citizen redistricting commission. &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con14.htm"&gt;In order to succeed&lt;/a&gt;, the amendment must pass the General Assembly by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Then, it would need a simple majority of the voters in November.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Seven members of the commission would be from each major party with the remaining three commissioners being unaffiliated with either. These commissioners would have to reflect the diversity of the state, and no more than one commissioner may come from a particular congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The commission would have to hold at least 20 public hearings, split evenly before and after the drafting of a proposed plan. Further, these meetings would have to allow for meaningful opportunities for participation, including translation services, live-streaming, and public map submissions. Such live-streaming must include capability for virtual participation and feedback. Once a plan is released, the commission would also have to release related data.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Lastly, this amendment would get rid of the requirement of splitting state Senate districts into two state House districts. It also would require counting incarcerated persons at their last-known residences, ending prison gerrymandering in the state. Its criteria also include protections of minority groups, respect for communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisanship.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Illinois is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Illinois\'s state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Back-up Legislative Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If the state fails to adopt state legislative lines by June 30, 2021, a backup commission will be formed by July 10 to draw those lines. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt congressional district lines.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Commission is made up of eight members, with a maximum of four per political party. The four legislative leaders each appoint one member of the General Assembly and one non-member to serve on the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A plan must be approved by August 10 by a vote of at least five commissioners. If this deadline is not met, the state Supreme Court submits the names of two people of different political parties. The Secretary of State randomly chooses one of these names to serve as the ninth commissioner. The nine-member commission will have until October 5 to approve a plan.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Illinois law requires that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous. When drawing state legislative lines, each "Legislative District" elects state senators, and these get divided into two "Representative Districts," which elect state representatives. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In March 2011, &lt;a href="http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf"&gt;a redistricting transparency law&lt;/a&gt; became effective and required four public hearings to be held in geographically distinct areas of the state. This law only applies to state legislative, not congressional, districts. In that cycle, the Senate committee held five public hearings while the House held fifteen. No hearings were held on the congressional map before it was adopted. Without a change in the law, the public can count on at least four hearings on the state legislative maps.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'IL', 'actions': 'Support a ballot initiative or constitutional amendment to establish an independent redistricting process.\r\n\r\n- The [Fair Maps Amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf) has been proposed in the Illinois Legislature and has bipartisan support.\r\n\r\n- The proposed amendment would need to get a three-fifths vote in both houses before going before going to the voters in November.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to identify communities of interest and to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Illinois redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/il/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': 5, 'contacts': '[Better Government Association](https://www.bettergov.org/)\r\n\r\n[Change Illinois](http://www.changeil.org/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Illinois](https://www.commoncause.org/illinois/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Illinois](https://www.lwvil.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Illinois has multiple opportunity-to-elect districts, drawn under the guidance of [state law](http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf), the Voting Rights Act, and the Constitution. Overall, Illinois does not set off statistical alarms for partisan gerrymandering. Even so, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has this same unified control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.\r\n\r\nIllinois has a voter initiative process. Reform through such a process would reduce the risk of self-dealing by legislators. However, [a constitutional amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf) has been introduced in the General Assembly to create a 17-member independent citizen redistricting commission. [In order to succeed](http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con14.htm), the amendment must pass the General Assembly by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Then, it would need a simple majority of the voters in November.\r\n\r\n- Seven members of the commission would be from each major party with the remaining three commissioners being unaffiliated with either. These commissioners would have to reflect the diversity of the state, and no more than one commissioner may come from a particular congressional district.\r\n\r\n- The commission would have to hold at least 20 public hearings, split evenly before and after the drafting of a proposed plan. Further, these meetings would have to allow for meaningful opportunities for participation, including translation services, live-streaming, and public map submissions. Such live-streaming must include capability for virtual participation and feedback. Once a plan is released, the commission would also have to release related data.\r\n\r\n- Lastly, this amendment would get rid of the requirement of splitting state Senate districts into two state House districts. It also would require counting incarcerated persons at their last-known residences, ending prison gerrymandering in the state. Its criteria also include protections of minority groups, respect for communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisanship.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Illinois is estimated to lose one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 19, 15, 10, 2, 869598, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/IL', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Illinois', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': 'Illinois\'s state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Back-up Legislative Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\n- If the state fails to adopt state legislative lines by June 30, 2021, a backup commission will be formed by July 10 to draw those lines. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt congressional district lines.\r\n\r\n- The Commission is made up of eight members, with a maximum of four per political party. The four legislative leaders each appoint one member of the General Assembly and one non-member to serve on the Commission.\r\n\r\n- A plan must be approved by August 10 by a vote of at least five commissioners. If this deadline is not met, the state Supreme Court submits the names of two people of different political parties. The Secretary of State randomly chooses one of these names to serve as the ninth commissioner. The nine-member commission will have until October 5 to approve a plan.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Illinois law requires that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous. When drawing state legislative lines, each "Legislative District" elects state senators, and these get divided into two "Representative Districts," which elect state representatives. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nIn March 2011, [a redistricting transparency law](http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf) became effective and required four public hearings to be held in geographically distinct areas of the state. This law only applies to state legislative, not congressional, districts. In that cycle, the Senate committee held five public hearings while the House held fifteen. No hearings were held on the congressional map before it was adopted. Without a change in the law, the public can count on at least four hearings on the state legislative maps.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IL</guid><actions>Support a ballot initiative or constitutional amendment to establish an independent redistricting process.

- The [Fair Maps Amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf) has been proposed in the Illinois Legislature and has bipartisan support.

- The proposed amendment would need to get a three-fifths vote in both houses before going before going to the voters in November.

In 2021, use public input to identify communities of interest and to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Illinois redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/il/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative or constitutional amendment to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf"&gt;Fair Maps Amendment&lt;/a&gt; has been proposed in the Illinois Legislature and has bipartisan support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The proposed amendment would need to get a three-fifths vote in both houses before going before going to the voters in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to identify communities of interest and to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Illinois redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/il/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Illinois's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Back-up Legislative Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

- If the state fails to adopt state legislative lines by June 30, 2021, a backup commission will be formed by July 10 to draw those lines. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt congressional district lines.

- The Commission is made up of eight members, with a maximum of four per political party. The four legislative leaders each appoint one member of the General Assembly and one non-member to serve on the Commission.

- A plan must be approved by August 10 by a vote of at least five commissioners. If this deadline is not met, the state Supreme Court submits the names of two people of different political parties. The Secretary of State randomly chooses one of these names to serve as the ninth commissioner. The nine-member commission will have until October 5 to approve a plan.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Illinois law requires that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous. When drawing state legislative lines, each "Legislative District" elects state senators, and these get divided into two "Representative Districts," which elect state representatives. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

In March 2011, [a redistricting transparency law](http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf) became effective and required four public hearings to be held in geographically distinct areas of the state. This law only applies to state legislative, not congressional, districts. In that cycle, the Senate committee held five public hearings while the House held fifteen. No hearings were held on the congressional map before it was adopted. Without a change in the law, the public can count on at least four hearings on the state legislative maps.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Illinois's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Back-up Legislative Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If the state fails to adopt state legislative lines by June 30, 2021, a backup commission will be formed by July 10 to draw those lines. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt congressional district lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Commission is made up of eight members, with a maximum of four per political party. The four legislative leaders each appoint one member of the General Assembly and one non-member to serve on the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A plan must be approved by August 10 by a vote of at least five commissioners. If this deadline is not met, the state Supreme Court submits the names of two people of different political parties. The Secretary of State randomly chooses one of these names to serve as the ninth commissioner. The nine-member commission will have until October 5 to approve a plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Illinois law requires that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous. When drawing state legislative lines, each "Legislative District" elects state senators, and these get divided into two "Representative Districts," which elect state representatives. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In March 2011, &lt;a href="http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf"&gt;a redistricting transparency law&lt;/a&gt; became effective and required four public hearings to be held in geographically distinct areas of the state. This law only applies to state legislative, not congressional, districts. In that cycle, the Senate committee held five public hearings while the House held fifteen. No hearings were held on the congressional map before it was adopted. Without a change in the law, the public can count on at least four hearings on the state legislative maps.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Illinois has multiple opportunity-to-elect districts, drawn under the guidance of [state law](http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf), the Voting Rights Act, and the Constitution. Overall, Illinois does not set off statistical alarms for partisan gerrymandering. Even so, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has this same unified control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

Illinois has a voter initiative process. Reform through such a process would reduce the risk of self-dealing by legislators. However, [a constitutional amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf) has been introduced in the General Assembly to create a 17-member independent citizen redistricting commission. [In order to succeed](http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con14.htm), the amendment must pass the General Assembly by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Then, it would need a simple majority of the voters in November.

- Seven members of the commission would be from each major party with the remaining three commissioners being unaffiliated with either. These commissioners would have to reflect the diversity of the state, and no more than one commissioner may come from a particular congressional district.

- The commission would have to hold at least 20 public hearings, split evenly before and after the drafting of a proposed plan. Further, these meetings would have to allow for meaningful opportunities for participation, including translation services, live-streaming, and public map submissions. Such live-streaming must include capability for virtual participation and feedback. Once a plan is released, the commission would also have to release related data.

- Lastly, this amendment would get rid of the requirement of splitting state Senate districts into two state House districts. It also would require counting incarcerated persons at their last-known residences, ending prison gerrymandering in the state. Its criteria also include protections of minority groups, respect for communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisanship.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Illinois is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Illinois has multiple opportunity-to-elect districts, drawn under the guidance of &lt;a href="http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf"&gt;state law&lt;/a&gt;, the Voting Rights Act, and the Constitution. Overall, Illinois does not set off statistical alarms for partisan gerrymandering. Even so, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has this same unified control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Illinois has a voter initiative process. Reform through such a process would reduce the risk of self-dealing by legislators. However, &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf"&gt;a constitutional amendment&lt;/a&gt; has been introduced in the General Assembly to create a 17-member independent citizen redistricting commission. &lt;a href="http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con14.htm"&gt;In order to succeed&lt;/a&gt;, the amendment must pass the General Assembly by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Then, it would need a simple majority of the voters in November.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Seven members of the commission would be from each major party with the remaining three commissioners being unaffiliated with either. These commissioners would have to reflect the diversity of the state, and no more than one commissioner may come from a particular congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The commission would have to hold at least 20 public hearings, split evenly before and after the drafting of a proposed plan. Further, these meetings would have to allow for meaningful opportunities for participation, including translation services, live-streaming, and public map submissions. Such live-streaming must include capability for virtual participation and feedback. Once a plan is released, the commission would also have to release related data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lastly, this amendment would get rid of the requirement of splitting state Senate districts into two state House districts. It also would require counting incarcerated persons at their last-known residences, ending prison gerrymandering in the state. Its criteria also include protections of minority groups, respect for communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisanship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Illinois is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Illinois has multiple opportunity-to-elect districts, drawn under the guidance of [state law](http://ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB3976lv.pdf), the Voting Rights Act, and the Constitution. Overall, Illinois does not set off statistical alarms for partisan gerrymandering. Even so, both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party has this same unified control when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.

Illinois has a voter initiative process. Reform through such a process would reduce the risk of self-dealing by legislators. However, [a constitutional amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/101/HJRCA/PDF/10100HC0041lv.pdf) has been introduced in the General Assembly to create a 17-member independent citizen redistricting commission. [In order to succeed](http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con14.htm), the amendment must pass the General Assembly by a three-fifths vote in each chamber. Then, it would need a simple majority of the voters in November.

- Seven members of the commission would be from each major party with the remaining three commissioners being unaffiliated with either. These commissioners would have to reflect the diversity of the state, and no more than one commissioner may come from a particular congressional district.

- The commission would have to hold at least 20 public hearings, split evenly before and after the drafting of a proposed plan. Further, these meetings would have to allow for meaningful opportunities for participation, including translation services, live-streaming, and public map submissions. Such live-streaming must include capability for virtual participation and feedback. Once a plan is released, the commission would also have to release related data.

- Lastly, this amendment would get rid of the requirement of splitting state Senate districts into two state House districts. It also would require counting incarcerated persons at their last-known residences, ending prison gerrymandering in the state. Its criteria also include protections of minority groups, respect for communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisanship.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Illinois is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.bettergov.org/"&gt;Better Government Association&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.changeil.org/"&gt;Change Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/illinois/"&gt;Common Cause Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvil.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Illinois&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 19 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Indiana</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IN</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Indiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/in/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.allinfordemocracy.org/"&gt;All IN For Democracy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://indianalocalredistricting.com/"&gt;Indiana Local Government Redistricting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclu-in.org/"&gt;ACLU of Indiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvin.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Indiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Indiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority in each chamber. If the state fails to adopt congressional districts, a backup commission is formed to draw them. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt state legislative district lines.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Indiana law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'IN', 'actions': 'In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Indiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/in/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[All IN For Democracy](https://www.allinfordemocracy.org/)\r\n\r\n[Indiana Local Government Redistricting](https://indianalocalredistricting.com/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Indiana](https://www.aclu-in.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Indiana](http://www.lwvin.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 17, 32, 21, 465331, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/IN', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Indiana', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Indiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority in each chamber. If the state fails to adopt congressional districts, a backup commission is formed to draw them. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt state legislative district lines.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Indiana law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IN</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Indiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/in/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Indiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/in/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Indiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority in each chamber. If the state fails to adopt congressional districts, a backup commission is formed to draw them. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt state legislative district lines.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Indiana law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Indiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority in each chamber. If the state fails to adopt congressional districts, a backup commission is formed to draw them. There is no backup commission in the event of a failure to adopt state legislative district lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Indiana law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.allinfordemocracy.org/"&gt;All IN For Democracy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://indianalocalredistricting.com/"&gt;Indiana Local Government Redistricting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclu-in.org/"&gt;ACLU of Indiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvin.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Indiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Iowa</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Advocate for the existing system at the state Legislature, in the press, and in your community. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Iowa redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ia/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvia.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Iowa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclu-ia.org/"&gt;ACLU of Iowa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Iowa has a public comment process. This is a central method by which voters can weigh in on the drawing of congressional and state legislative lines.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Iowa currently has a Republican trifecta. The Democratic party need only flip four seats to create split control of the Legislature, which accepts or rejects the state's new maps. Although Iowa's redistricting process is typically uncontroversial, breaking this trifecta in 2020 would create an additional roadblock to gerrymandering in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Iowa has one of the nation's first redistricting commission processes.  Civil servants, guided by a bipartisan committee, draft up to three maps, which the Legislature can accept or reject (or modify, after a certain number of rejections). The success of this process depends on courtesy between legislators and a respect for democratic norms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Iowa law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, person, or group.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'IA', 'actions': 'Advocate for the existing system at the state Legislature, in the press, and in your community. \r\n\r\n- Obtain Iowa redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ia/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': 4, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Iowa](https://www.lwvia.org/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Iowa](https://www.aclu-ia.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'draws_state_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "Iowa has a public comment process. This is a central method by which voters can weigh in on the drawing of congressional and state legislative lines.\r\n\r\nIowa currently has a Republican trifecta. The Democratic party need only flip four seats to create split control of the Legislature, which accepts or rejects the state's new maps. Although Iowa's redistricting process is typically uncontroversial, breaking this trifecta in 2020 would create an additional roadblock to gerrymandering in 2021.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 25, 15, 28, 5, 546650, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/IA', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Iowa', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Iowa has one of the nation's first redistricting commission processes.  Civil servants, guided by a bipartisan committee, draft up to three maps, which the Legislature can accept or reject (or modify, after a certain number of rejections). The success of this process depends on courtesy between legislators and a respect for democratic norms.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Iowa law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, person, or group.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/IA</guid><actions>Advocate for the existing system at the state Legislature, in the press, and in your community. 

- Obtain Iowa redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ia/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Advocate for the existing system at the state Legislature, in the press, and in your community. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Iowa redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ia/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Iowa has one of the nation's first redistricting commission processes.  Civil servants, guided by a bipartisan committee, draft up to three maps, which the Legislature can accept or reject (or modify, after a certain number of rejections). The success of this process depends on courtesy between legislators and a respect for democratic norms.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Iowa law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, person, or group.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Iowa has one of the nation's first redistricting commission processes.  Civil servants, guided by a bipartisan committee, draft up to three maps, which the Legislature can accept or reject (or modify, after a certain number of rejections). The success of this process depends on courtesy between legislators and a respect for democratic norms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Iowa law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law, as is intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, person, or group.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Iowa has a public comment process. This is a central method by which voters can weigh in on the drawing of congressional and state legislative lines.

Iowa currently has a Republican trifecta. The Democratic party need only flip four seats to create split control of the Legislature, which accepts or rejects the state's new maps. Although Iowa's redistricting process is typically uncontroversial, breaking this trifecta in 2020 would create an additional roadblock to gerrymandering in 2021.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Iowa has a public comment process. This is a central method by which voters can weigh in on the drawing of congressional and state legislative lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Iowa currently has a Republican trifecta. The Democratic party need only flip four seats to create split control of the Legislature, which accepts or rejects the state's new maps. Although Iowa's redistricting process is typically uncontroversial, breaking this trifecta in 2020 would create an additional roadblock to gerrymandering in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Iowa has a public comment process. This is a central method by which voters can weigh in on the drawing of congressional and state legislative lines.

Iowa currently has a Republican trifecta. The Democratic party need only flip four seats to create split control of the Legislature, which accepts or rejects the state's new maps. Although Iowa's redistricting process is typically uncontroversial, breaking this trifecta in 2020 would create an additional roadblock to gerrymandering in 2021.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvia.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Iowa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclu-ia.org/"&gt;ACLU of Iowa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 25 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Kansas</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/KS</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Kansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ks/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvk.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Kansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/"&gt;ACLU of Kansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;The GOP-controlled Legislature currently has a supermajority in both House and Senate, enough to override the Governor's veto on a redistricting plan. A change of two seats in House or Senate would undo the supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Kansas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kansas law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents. Kansas law requires that the state's congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'KS', 'actions': 'In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Kansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ks/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Kansas](https://lwvk.org/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Kansas](https://www.aclukansas.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "The GOP-controlled Legislature currently has a supermajority in both House and Senate, enough to override the Governor's veto on a redistricting plan. A change of two seats in House or Senate would undo the supermajority.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 17, 37, 25, 763879, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/KS', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Kansas', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Kansas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kansas law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents. Kansas law requires that the state's congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and preserve the cores of prior districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/KS</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Kansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ks/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Kansas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ks/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Kansas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kansas law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents. Kansas law requires that the state's congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and preserve the cores of prior districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Kansas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kansas law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents. Kansas law requires that the state's congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The GOP-controlled Legislature currently has a supermajority in both House and Senate, enough to override the Governor's veto on a redistricting plan. A change of two seats in House or Senate would undo the supermajority.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The GOP-controlled Legislature currently has a supermajority in both House and Senate, enough to override the Governor's veto on a redistricting plan. A change of two seats in House or Senate would undo the supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The GOP-controlled Legislature currently has a supermajority in both House and Senate, enough to override the Governor's veto on a redistricting plan. A change of two seats in House or Senate would undo the supermajority.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvk.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Kansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/"&gt;ACLU of Kansas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Kentucky</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/KY</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The League of Women Voters of Kentucky is seeking sponsors for legislation that would create a redistricting advisory commission to draw the lines for Kentucky’s next state and federal legislative districts following the 2020 census. Partner with them to advocate for redistricting reform!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire state legislature is up for re-election in 2020. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvky.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Kentucky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-kentucky/"&gt;Common Cause Kentucky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.togetherfrankfort.org/"&gt;Together Frankfort&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Kentucky presents a challenging case for advocates of fair districting. There is no public comment process, and redistricting is under single-party control. Even with a Democrat as governor, Republicans can override a veto to a redistricting plan by a simple majority vote.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Kentucky's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kentucky law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. Additionally, the state's congressional districts must also preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'KY', 'actions': 'The League of Women Voters of Kentucky is seeking sponsors for legislation that would create a redistricting advisory commission to draw the lines for Kentucky’s next state and federal legislative districts following the 2020 census. Partner with them to advocate for redistricting reform!\r\n\r\nThe entire state legislature is up for re-election in 2020. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Kentucky](https://lwvky.org/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Kentucky](https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-kentucky/)\r\n\r\n[Together Frankfort](http://www.togetherfrankfort.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Kentucky presents a challenging case for advocates of fair districting. There is no public comment process, and redistricting is under single-party control. Even with a Democrat as governor, Republicans can override a veto to a redistricting plan by a simple majority vote.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 14, 21, 29, 18, 652389, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/KY', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Kentucky', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Kentucky's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kentucky law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. Additionally, the state's congressional districts must also preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/KY</guid><actions>The League of Women Voters of Kentucky is seeking sponsors for legislation that would create a redistricting advisory commission to draw the lines for Kentucky’s next state and federal legislative districts following the 2020 census. Partner with them to advocate for redistricting reform!

The entire state legislature is up for re-election in 2020. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The League of Women Voters of Kentucky is seeking sponsors for legislation that would create a redistricting advisory commission to draw the lines for Kentucky’s next state and federal legislative districts following the 2020 census. Partner with them to advocate for redistricting reform!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire state legislature is up for re-election in 2020. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Kentucky's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kentucky law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. Additionally, the state's congressional districts must also preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Kentucky's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Kentucky law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. Additionally, the state's congressional districts must also preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Kentucky presents a challenging case for advocates of fair districting. There is no public comment process, and redistricting is under single-party control. Even with a Democrat as governor, Republicans can override a veto to a redistricting plan by a simple majority vote.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Kentucky presents a challenging case for advocates of fair districting. There is no public comment process, and redistricting is under single-party control. Even with a Democrat as governor, Republicans can override a veto to a redistricting plan by a simple majority vote.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Kentucky presents a challenging case for advocates of fair districting. There is no public comment process, and redistricting is under single-party control. Even with a Democrat as governor, Republicans can override a veto to a redistricting plan by a simple majority vote.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvky.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Kentucky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-kentucky/"&gt;Common Cause Kentucky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.togetherfrankfort.org/"&gt;Together Frankfort&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 14 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Louisiana</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/LA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2019, support gubernatorial and state legislative candidates who favor fair districting. The 2019 gubernatorial and state legislative elections will determine whether 2021 redistricting will occur under single-party or split-party control.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Louisiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/la/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use free software such as &lt;a href="https://planscore.org"&gt;PlanScore&lt;/a&gt; to analyze draft maps for undue partisanship or ill treatment of minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://fairdistrictsla.org/"&gt;Fair Districts Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-louisiana/"&gt;Common Cause Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvofla.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;On Nov. 16, 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards won re-election, keeping split-party control over the redistricting process in Louisiana. In addition, state House Republicans are now two votes shy of the supermajority required to override Edwards’ veto. Edwards has veto power over redistricting. To overcome a gubernatorial veto of a redistricting plan, the state House Republicans would need to pick up at least two votes. Those votes could potentially come from black Democrats, who may favor having larger margins of victory in less districts to ensure wins rather than spreading black votes for narrower wins in more districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 claim (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/johnson-v-ardoin"&gt;Johnson v. Ardoin&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case is challenging Louisiana\'s 5th and 6th congressional districts as cracking minority voters and the 2nd congressional district as packing minority voters.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Louisiana was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Louisiana was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Louisianans are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Louisiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'LA', 'actions': "In 2019, support gubernatorial and state legislative candidates who favor fair districting. The 2019 gubernatorial and state legislative elections will determine whether 2021 redistricting will occur under single-party or split-party control.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Louisiana redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/la/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Use free software such as [PlanScore](https://planscore.org) to analyze draft maps for undue partisanship or ill treatment of minority groups.\r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Fair Districts Louisiana](https://fairdistrictsla.org/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Louisiana](https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-louisiana/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Louisiana](https://lwvofla.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "On Nov. 16, 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards won re-election, keeping split-party control over the redistricting process in Louisiana. In addition, state House Republicans are now two votes shy of the supermajority required to override Edwards’ veto. Edwards has veto power over redistricting. To overcome a gubernatorial veto of a redistricting plan, the state House Republicans would need to pick up at least two votes. Those votes could potentially come from black Democrats, who may favor having larger margins of victory in less districts to ensure wins rather than spreading black votes for narrower wins in more districts.\r\n\r\nThe Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.\r\n\r\nA Voting Rights Act Section 2 claim ([Johnson v. Ardoin](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/johnson-v-ardoin)) is being considered in federal court. The case is challenging Louisiana's 5th and 6th congressional districts as cracking minority voters and the 2nd congressional district as packing minority voters.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 18, 16, 26, 59, 918698, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/LA', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Louisiana', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Louisiana was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Louisiana was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Louisianans are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Louisiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/LA</guid><actions>In 2019, support gubernatorial and state legislative candidates who favor fair districting. The 2019 gubernatorial and state legislative elections will determine whether 2021 redistricting will occur under single-party or split-party control.

In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Louisiana redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/la/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Use free software such as [PlanScore](https://planscore.org) to analyze draft maps for undue partisanship or ill treatment of minority groups.

If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2019, support gubernatorial and state legislative candidates who favor fair districting. The 2019 gubernatorial and state legislative elections will determine whether 2021 redistricting will occur under single-party or split-party control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Louisiana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/la/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use free software such as &lt;a href="https://planscore.org"&gt;PlanScore&lt;/a&gt; to analyze draft maps for undue partisanship or ill treatment of minority groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Louisiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Louisiana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>On Nov. 16, 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards won re-election, keeping split-party control over the redistricting process in Louisiana. In addition, state House Republicans are now two votes shy of the supermajority required to override Edwards’ veto. Edwards has veto power over redistricting. To overcome a gubernatorial veto of a redistricting plan, the state House Republicans would need to pick up at least two votes. Those votes could potentially come from black Democrats, who may favor having larger margins of victory in less districts to ensure wins rather than spreading black votes for narrower wins in more districts.

The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

A Voting Rights Act Section 2 claim ([Johnson v. Ardoin](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/johnson-v-ardoin)) is being considered in federal court. The case is challenging Louisiana's 5th and 6th congressional districts as cracking minority voters and the 2nd congressional district as packing minority voters.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;On Nov. 16, 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards won re-election, keeping split-party control over the redistricting process in Louisiana. In addition, state House Republicans are now two votes shy of the supermajority required to override Edwards’ veto. Edwards has veto power over redistricting. To overcome a gubernatorial veto of a redistricting plan, the state House Republicans would need to pick up at least two votes. Those votes could potentially come from black Democrats, who may favor having larger margins of victory in less districts to ensure wins rather than spreading black votes for narrower wins in more districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 claim (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/johnson-v-ardoin"&gt;Johnson v. Ardoin&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case is challenging Louisiana's 5th and 6th congressional districts as cracking minority voters and the 2nd congressional district as packing minority voters.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>On Nov. 16, 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards won re-election, keeping split-party control over the redistricting process in Louisiana. In addition, state House Republicans are now two votes shy of the supermajority required to override Edwards’ veto. Edwards has veto power over redistricting. To overcome a gubernatorial veto of a redistricting plan, the state House Republicans would need to pick up at least two votes. Those votes could potentially come from black Democrats, who may favor having larger margins of victory in less districts to ensure wins rather than spreading black votes for narrower wins in more districts.

The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

A Voting Rights Act Section 2 claim ([Johnson v. Ardoin](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/johnson-v-ardoin)) is being considered in federal court. The case is challenging Louisiana's 5th and 6th congressional districts as cracking minority voters and the 2nd congressional district as packing minority voters.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://fairdistrictsla.org/"&gt;Fair Districts Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-louisiana/"&gt;Common Cause Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvofla.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Louisiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 18 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Maine</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ME</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Maine redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/me/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvme.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Maine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Maine has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Maine has an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which can accept, modify, or reject the recommendations. Any map it adopts must be by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the Legislature.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maine law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'ME', 'actions': 'Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.\r\n\r\n- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\n- Obtain Maine redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/me/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Maine](http://www.lwvme.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'The success of this commission will depend on public input.\r\n\r\nMaine has a ballot initiative process.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 18, 7, 54, 323312, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/ME', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Maine', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': 'Maine has an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which can accept, modify, or reject the recommendations. Any map it adopts must be by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the Legislature.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maine law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ME</guid><actions>Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.

- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!

- Obtain Maine redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/me/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Maine redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/me/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Maine has an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which can accept, modify, or reject the recommendations. Any map it adopts must be by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the Legislature.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maine law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Maine has an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which can accept, modify, or reject the recommendations. Any map it adopts must be by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the Legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maine law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The success of this commission will depend on public input.

Maine has a ballot initiative process.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Maine has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The success of this commission will depend on public input.

Maine has a ballot initiative process.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvme.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Maine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Maryland</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MD</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;During redistricting, weigh in with your Delegate or state Senator. Emphasize the importance of a bipartisan plan that reflects all Marylanders\' priorities, and of working with the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Governor and Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Maryland redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/md/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/maryland/"&gt;Common Cause Maryland&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvmd.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Maryland&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Maryland Democrats drew a congressional gerrymander to take the Sixth Congressional District from Republicans. This was the subject of a high-profile test case before the Supreme Court, Benisek v. Lamone.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, redistricting will be done under split-party control. There will be no elections between now and redistricting. Democrats have legislative supermajorities, opening the possibility that they could override of a veto by Republican Governor Larry Hogan. However, a switch of four Senate votes or fifteen votes in the House of Delegates would bring Democrats below supermajority threshold.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Maryland's state legislative districts are first drawn by the Governor and, typically, an advisory commission he appoints. The Governor must present this plan to the state Legislature on the first day of its regular session in 2022. The state Legislature also has the option of drawing its own districts, separate from the Governor's process. The state Legislature may adopt its own maps through a joint resolution, which requires no action by the Governor, so if the resolution passes, it is not subject to a gubernatorial veto. If the state Legislature fails to adopt its own plans within 45 days of the release of the Governor's maps, the Governor's maps are adopted.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Maryland's congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maryland law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MD', 'actions': "During redistricting, weigh in with your Delegate or state Senator. Emphasize the importance of a bipartisan plan that reflects all Marylanders' priorities, and of working with the Governor.\r\n\r\nUse public input to persuade the Governor and Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Maryland redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/md/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Maryland](https://www.commoncause.org/maryland/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Maryland](https://www.lwvmd.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Governor and Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'In 2011, Maryland Democrats drew a congressional gerrymander to take the Sixth Congressional District from Republicans. This was the subject of a high-profile test case before the Supreme Court, Benisek v. Lamone.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, redistricting will be done under split-party control. There will be no elections between now and redistricting. Democrats have legislative supermajorities, opening the possibility that they could override of a veto by Republican Governor Larry Hogan. However, a switch of four Senate votes or fifteen votes in the House of Delegates would bring Democrats below supermajority threshold.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 7, 22, 17, 0, 339977, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/MD', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Maryland', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Maryland's state legislative districts are first drawn by the Governor and, typically, an advisory commission he appoints. The Governor must present this plan to the state Legislature on the first day of its regular session in 2022. The state Legislature also has the option of drawing its own districts, separate from the Governor's process. The state Legislature may adopt its own maps through a joint resolution, which requires no action by the Governor, so if the resolution passes, it is not subject to a gubernatorial veto. If the state Legislature fails to adopt its own plans within 45 days of the release of the Governor's maps, the Governor's maps are adopted.\r\n\r\nMaryland's congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maryland law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MD</guid><actions>During redistricting, weigh in with your Delegate or state Senator. Emphasize the importance of a bipartisan plan that reflects all Marylanders' priorities, and of working with the Governor.

Use public input to persuade the Governor and Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Maryland redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/md/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;During redistricting, weigh in with your Delegate or state Senator. Emphasize the importance of a bipartisan plan that reflects all Marylanders' priorities, and of working with the Governor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the Governor and Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Maryland redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/md/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Maryland's state legislative districts are first drawn by the Governor and, typically, an advisory commission he appoints. The Governor must present this plan to the state Legislature on the first day of its regular session in 2022. The state Legislature also has the option of drawing its own districts, separate from the Governor's process. The state Legislature may adopt its own maps through a joint resolution, which requires no action by the Governor, so if the resolution passes, it is not subject to a gubernatorial veto. If the state Legislature fails to adopt its own plans within 45 days of the release of the Governor's maps, the Governor's maps are adopted.

Maryland's congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maryland law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Maryland's state legislative districts are first drawn by the Governor and, typically, an advisory commission he appoints. The Governor must present this plan to the state Legislature on the first day of its regular session in 2022. The state Legislature also has the option of drawing its own districts, separate from the Governor's process. The state Legislature may adopt its own maps through a joint resolution, which requires no action by the Governor, so if the resolution passes, it is not subject to a gubernatorial veto. If the state Legislature fails to adopt its own plans within 45 days of the release of the Governor's maps, the Governor's maps are adopted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Maryland's congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Maryland law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>In 2011, Maryland Democrats drew a congressional gerrymander to take the Sixth Congressional District from Republicans. This was the subject of a high-profile test case before the Supreme Court, Benisek v. Lamone.

In 2021, redistricting will be done under split-party control. There will be no elections between now and redistricting. Democrats have legislative supermajorities, opening the possibility that they could override of a veto by Republican Governor Larry Hogan. However, a switch of four Senate votes or fifteen votes in the House of Delegates would bring Democrats below supermajority threshold.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Maryland Democrats drew a congressional gerrymander to take the Sixth Congressional District from Republicans. This was the subject of a high-profile test case before the Supreme Court, Benisek v. Lamone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, redistricting will be done under split-party control. There will be no elections between now and redistricting. Democrats have legislative supermajorities, opening the possibility that they could override of a veto by Republican Governor Larry Hogan. However, a switch of four Senate votes or fifteen votes in the House of Delegates would bring Democrats below supermajority threshold.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>In 2011, Maryland Democrats drew a congressional gerrymander to take the Sixth Congressional District from Republicans. This was the subject of a high-profile test case before the Supreme Court, Benisek v. Lamone.

In 2021, redistricting will be done under split-party control. There will be no elections between now and redistricting. Democrats have legislative supermajorities, opening the possibility that they could override of a veto by Republican Governor Larry Hogan. However, a switch of four Senate votes or fifteen votes in the House of Delegates would bring Democrats below supermajority threshold.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/maryland/"&gt;Common Cause Maryland&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvmd.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Maryland&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by governor and legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 07 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Massachusetts</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Massachusetts redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ma/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.massvote.org/"&gt;MassVote&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvma.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Massachusetts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclum.org/en"&gt;ACLU of Massachusetts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://mggg.org/"&gt;Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Redistricting in Massachusetts is under single-party control by Democrats because of the party\'s  legislative supermajorities (permitting override of a veto from the Commonwealth\'s Republican Governor), and the congressional delegation is 9 Democrats and no Republicans. However, the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group has used intensive computer simulations to find that Republicans are so evenly distributed around the state that drawing a Republican congressional district is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Massachusetts had an extensive &lt;a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Massachusetts_after_the_2010_census#Public_input"&gt;public input&lt;/a&gt; process for redistricting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In its 2019 legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering two similar proposals for an independent commission. &lt;a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S13"&gt;S13&lt;/a&gt;, a proposed constitutional amendment, creates a seven-member commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and councilor districts under certain criteria and with required public hearings. The maps would then be voted on by the Legislature without chance for amendment. &lt;a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H679"&gt;H679&lt;/a&gt;, a proposed bill, is essentially the same but is limited only to congressional lines.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Massachusetts's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Massachusetts law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MA', 'actions': 'Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest. \r\n\r\n- Obtain Massachusetts redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ma/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[MassVote](https://www.massvote.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Massachusetts](https://lwvma.org/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Massachusetts](https://www.aclum.org/en)\r\n\r\n[Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group](https://mggg.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "Redistricting in Massachusetts is under single-party control by Democrats because of the party's  legislative supermajorities (permitting override of a veto from the Commonwealth's Republican Governor), and the congressional delegation is 9 Democrats and no Republicans. However, the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group has used intensive computer simulations to find that Republicans are so evenly distributed around the state that drawing a Republican congressional district is impossible.\r\n\r\nIn 2011, Massachusetts had an extensive [public input](https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Massachusetts_after_the_2010_census#Public_input) process for redistricting.\r\n\r\nIn its 2019 legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering two similar proposals for an independent commission. [S13](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S13), a proposed constitutional amendment, creates a seven-member commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and councilor districts under certain criteria and with required public hearings. The maps would then be voted on by the Legislature without chance for amendment. [H679](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H679), a proposed bill, is essentially the same but is limited only to congressional lines.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 1, 15, 13, 34, 792419, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/MA', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Massachusetts', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Massachusetts's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Massachusetts law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MA</guid><actions>Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest. 

- Obtain Massachusetts redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ma/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Massachusetts redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ma/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Massachusetts's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Massachusetts law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Massachusetts's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Massachusetts law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Redistricting in Massachusetts is under single-party control by Democrats because of the party's  legislative supermajorities (permitting override of a veto from the Commonwealth's Republican Governor), and the congressional delegation is 9 Democrats and no Republicans. However, the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group has used intensive computer simulations to find that Republicans are so evenly distributed around the state that drawing a Republican congressional district is impossible.

In 2011, Massachusetts had an extensive [public input](https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Massachusetts_after_the_2010_census#Public_input) process for redistricting.

In its 2019 legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering two similar proposals for an independent commission. [S13](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S13), a proposed constitutional amendment, creates a seven-member commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and councilor districts under certain criteria and with required public hearings. The maps would then be voted on by the Legislature without chance for amendment. [H679](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H679), a proposed bill, is essentially the same but is limited only to congressional lines.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Redistricting in Massachusetts is under single-party control by Democrats because of the party's  legislative supermajorities (permitting override of a veto from the Commonwealth's Republican Governor), and the congressional delegation is 9 Democrats and no Republicans. However, the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group has used intensive computer simulations to find that Republicans are so evenly distributed around the state that drawing a Republican congressional district is impossible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Massachusetts had an extensive &lt;a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Massachusetts_after_the_2010_census#Public_input"&gt;public input&lt;/a&gt; process for redistricting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In its 2019 legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering two similar proposals for an independent commission. &lt;a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S13"&gt;S13&lt;/a&gt;, a proposed constitutional amendment, creates a seven-member commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and councilor districts under certain criteria and with required public hearings. The maps would then be voted on by the Legislature without chance for amendment. &lt;a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H679"&gt;H679&lt;/a&gt;, a proposed bill, is essentially the same but is limited only to congressional lines.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Redistricting in Massachusetts is under single-party control by Democrats because of the party's  legislative supermajorities (permitting override of a veto from the Commonwealth's Republican Governor), and the congressional delegation is 9 Democrats and no Republicans. However, the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group has used intensive computer simulations to find that Republicans are so evenly distributed around the state that drawing a Republican congressional district is impossible.

In 2011, Massachusetts had an extensive [public input](https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Massachusetts_after_the_2010_census#Public_input) process for redistricting.

In its 2019 legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering two similar proposals for an independent commission. [S13](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S13), a proposed constitutional amendment, creates a seven-member commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and councilor districts under certain criteria and with required public hearings. The maps would then be voted on by the Legislature without chance for amendment. [H679](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H679), a proposed bill, is essentially the same but is limited only to congressional lines.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.massvote.org/"&gt;MassVote&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwvma.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Massachusetts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclum.org/en"&gt;ACLU of Massachusetts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://mggg.org/"&gt;Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 01 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Michigan</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MI</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Apply to be a citizen commissioner. The citizen application is &lt;a href="https://redistrictingapplication.sos.state.mi.us/"&gt;open here&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Michigan redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://votersnotpoliticians.com/"&gt;Voters Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/michigan/"&gt;Common Cause Michigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclumich.org/"&gt;ACLU of Michigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_91141---,00.html"&gt;Citizens Redistricting Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/daunt-v-benson"&gt;Daunt v. Benson&lt;/a&gt;) has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new independent commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Supreme Court sent back a separate federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-michigan-v-benson"&gt;League of Women Voters v. Benson&lt;/a&gt;) to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court\'s ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Michigan is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Commission&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Michigan's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a 13-member independent citizen redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The membership must include four members of each major party and five who are not affiliated with either. The application process is open from January 1, 2020 until June 1 either through paper or online applications, including a certain number of randomly mailed paper applications. 60 applicants from each major party and 80 unaffiliated with either will be selected through a statistically-weighted random drawing to ensure diversity by July 1. Half of each pool must be populated from applicants who received a random mailing.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;After the 200 applicants are selected and by August 1, the four legislative leaders in the Michigan state legislature can strike up to five applicants each for a total of 20. From this final list of 180 applicants, 13 will be randomly selected by September 1, 2020. The commission must officially convene by October 15, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Initial plans must be drawn by September 17, 2021 to allow for a 45-day public comment period before the final deadline of November 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Michigan law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate, or party is prohibited. Additionally, state law requires that state legislative districts be drawn to preserve the prior cores of preexisting districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Under the new process, the commission must hold at least 10 public hearings before drafting maps and at least 5 after publication. Additionally, there must be a public comment period about the published maps for at least 45 days before they can be finalized. Throughout the process, the commission must accept written public comment and public map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MI', 'actions': 'Apply to be a citizen commissioner. The citizen application is [open here](https://redistrictingapplication.sos.state.mi.us/)!\r\n\r\nParticipate in the Commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Michigan redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Voters Not Politicians](https://votersnotpoliticians.com/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Michigan](https://www.commoncause.org/michigan/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Michigan](https://www.aclumich.org/)\r\n\r\n[Citizens Redistricting Commission](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_91141---,00.html)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "- The success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\n- A federal lawsuit ([Daunt v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/daunt-v-benson)) has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new independent commission.\r\n\r\n- The Supreme Court sent back a separate federal lawsuit ([League of Women Voters v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-michigan-v-benson)) to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Michigan is estimated to lose one congressional seat.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 17, 19, 33, 3, 874657, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/MI', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Michigan', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Commission&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nBeginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Michigan's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a 13-member independent citizen redistricting commission.\r\n\r\n- The membership must include four members of each major party and five who are not affiliated with either. The application process is open from January 1, 2020 until June 1 either through paper or online applications, including a certain number of randomly mailed paper applications. 60 applicants from each major party and 80 unaffiliated with either will be selected through a statistically-weighted random drawing to ensure diversity by July 1. Half of each pool must be populated from applicants who received a random mailing.\r\n\r\n- After the 200 applicants are selected and by August 1, the four legislative leaders in the Michigan state legislature can strike up to five applicants each for a total of 20. From this final list of 180 applicants, 13 will be randomly selected by September 1, 2020. The commission must officially convene by October 15, 2020.\r\n\r\n- Initial plans must be drawn by September 17, 2021 to allow for a 45-day public comment period before the final deadline of November 1, 2021.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Michigan law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate, or party is prohibited. Additionally, state law requires that state legislative districts be drawn to preserve the prior cores of preexisting districts.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nUnder the new process, the commission must hold at least 10 public hearings before drafting maps and at least 5 after publication. Additionally, there must be a public comment period about the published maps for at least 45 days before they can be finalized. Throughout the process, the commission must accept written public comment and public map submissions.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MI</guid><actions>Apply to be a citizen commissioner. The citizen application is [open here](https://redistrictingapplication.sos.state.mi.us/)!

Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Michigan redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Apply to be a citizen commissioner. The citizen application is &lt;a href="https://redistrictingapplication.sos.state.mi.us/"&gt;open here&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Michigan redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Commission&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Michigan's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a 13-member independent citizen redistricting commission.

- The membership must include four members of each major party and five who are not affiliated with either. The application process is open from January 1, 2020 until June 1 either through paper or online applications, including a certain number of randomly mailed paper applications. 60 applicants from each major party and 80 unaffiliated with either will be selected through a statistically-weighted random drawing to ensure diversity by July 1. Half of each pool must be populated from applicants who received a random mailing.

- After the 200 applicants are selected and by August 1, the four legislative leaders in the Michigan state legislature can strike up to five applicants each for a total of 20. From this final list of 180 applicants, 13 will be randomly selected by September 1, 2020. The commission must officially convene by October 15, 2020.

- Initial plans must be drawn by September 17, 2021 to allow for a 45-day public comment period before the final deadline of November 1, 2021.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Michigan law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate, or party is prohibited. Additionally, state law requires that state legislative districts be drawn to preserve the prior cores of preexisting districts.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

Under the new process, the commission must hold at least 10 public hearings before drafting maps and at least 5 after publication. Additionally, there must be a public comment period about the published maps for at least 45 days before they can be finalized. Throughout the process, the commission must accept written public comment and public map submissions.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Commission&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Beginning in the 2020 redistricting cycle, Michigan's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a 13-member independent citizen redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The membership must include four members of each major party and five who are not affiliated with either. The application process is open from January 1, 2020 until June 1 either through paper or online applications, including a certain number of randomly mailed paper applications. 60 applicants from each major party and 80 unaffiliated with either will be selected through a statistically-weighted random drawing to ensure diversity by July 1. Half of each pool must be populated from applicants who received a random mailing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After the 200 applicants are selected and by August 1, the four legislative leaders in the Michigan state legislature can strike up to five applicants each for a total of 20. From this final list of 180 applicants, 13 will be randomly selected by September 1, 2020. The commission must officially convene by October 15, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Initial plans must be drawn by September 17, 2021 to allow for a 45-day public comment period before the final deadline of November 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Michigan law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, candidate, or party is prohibited. Additionally, state law requires that state legislative districts be drawn to preserve the prior cores of preexisting districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under the new process, the commission must hold at least 10 public hearings before drafting maps and at least 5 after publication. Additionally, there must be a public comment period about the published maps for at least 45 days before they can be finalized. Throughout the process, the commission must accept written public comment and public map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- The success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!

- A federal lawsuit ([Daunt v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/daunt-v-benson)) has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new independent commission.

- The Supreme Court sent back a separate federal lawsuit ([League of Women Voters v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-michigan-v-benson)) to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Michigan is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/daunt-v-benson"&gt;Daunt v. Benson&lt;/a&gt;) has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new independent commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Supreme Court sent back a separate federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-michigan-v-benson"&gt;League of Women Voters v. Benson&lt;/a&gt;) to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Michigan is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- The success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!

- A federal lawsuit ([Daunt v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/daunt-v-benson)) has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the new independent commission.

- The Supreme Court sent back a separate federal lawsuit ([League of Women Voters v. Benson](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-michigan-v-benson)) to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Michigan is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://votersnotpoliticians.com/"&gt;Voters Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/michigan/"&gt;Common Cause Michigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclumich.org/"&gt;ACLU of Michigan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_91141---,00.html"&gt;Citizens Redistricting Commission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 17 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Minnesota</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MN</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Support the reform bill &lt;a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1605&amp;amp;version=0&amp;amp;session=ls91&amp;amp;session_year=2019&amp;amp;session_number=0&amp;amp;format=pdf"&gt;HF 1605&lt;/a&gt;, which &lt;a href="http://www.startribune.com/supreme-court-reminds-voters-who-s-in-charge-on-redistricting/512276682/"&gt;is backed by Common Cause Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. This bill passed the Minnesota House in 2019 and needs to pass the Senate in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Contact Common Cause Minnesota to get involved.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use the extensive public comment process to stand up for your community of interest. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Minnesota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/minnesota/"&gt;Common Cause Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://cleanelectionsmn.org/"&gt;Clean Elections Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Minnesota's entire legislature is up for election in 2020. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Minnesota redistricting has an extensive public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Minnesota's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Minnesota law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MN', 'actions': 'In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.\r\n\r\n- Support the reform bill [HF 1605](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1605&amp;version=0&amp;session=ls91&amp;session_year=2019&amp;session_number=0&amp;format=pdf), which [is backed by Common Cause Minnesota](http://www.startribune.com/supreme-court-reminds-voters-who-s-in-charge-on-redistricting/512276682/). This bill passed the Minnesota House in 2019 and needs to pass the Senate in 2020.\r\n\r\n- Contact Common Cause Minnesota to get involved.\r\n\r\nUse the extensive public comment process to stand up for your community of interest. \r\n\r\n- Obtain Minnesota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Minnesota](https://www.commoncause.org/minnesota/)\r\n\r\n[Clean Elections Minnesota](https://cleanelectionsmn.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "Minnesota's entire legislature is up for election in 2020. \r\n\r\nMinnesota redistricting has an extensive public comment process.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 18, 36, 51, 852643, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/MN', 'legislative_control': 'Senate: Republican; House: Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Minnesota', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Minnesota's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Minnesota law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MN</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.

- Support the reform bill [HF 1605](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1605&amp;version=0&amp;session=ls91&amp;session_year=2019&amp;session_number=0&amp;format=pdf), which [is backed by Common Cause Minnesota](http://www.startribune.com/supreme-court-reminds-voters-who-s-in-charge-on-redistricting/512276682/). This bill passed the Minnesota House in 2019 and needs to pass the Senate in 2020.

- Contact Common Cause Minnesota to get involved.

Use the extensive public comment process to stand up for your community of interest. 

- Obtain Minnesota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support the reform bill &lt;a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1605&amp;amp;version=0&amp;amp;session=ls91&amp;amp;session_year=2019&amp;amp;session_number=0&amp;amp;format=pdf"&gt;HF 1605&lt;/a&gt;, which &lt;a href="http://www.startribune.com/supreme-court-reminds-voters-who-s-in-charge-on-redistricting/512276682/"&gt;is backed by Common Cause Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. This bill passed the Minnesota House in 2019 and needs to pass the Senate in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact Common Cause Minnesota to get involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use the extensive public comment process to stand up for your community of interest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Minnesota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Minnesota's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Minnesota law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Minnesota's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Minnesota law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Minnesota's entire legislature is up for election in 2020. 

Minnesota redistricting has an extensive public comment process.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Minnesota's entire legislature is up for election in 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota redistricting has an extensive public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Minnesota's entire legislature is up for election in 2020. 

Minnesota redistricting has an extensive public comment process.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/minnesota/"&gt;Common Cause Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://cleanelectionsmn.org/"&gt;Clean Elections Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Senate: Republican; House: Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Mississippi</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MS</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/mississippi/"&gt;Common Cause Mississippi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwv-ms.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Missippi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://southernecho.org/"&gt;Southern Echo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Because of the substantial black population, Mississippi is at risk of racial gerrymandering to reduce their representation.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Mississippi has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The governorship remained in Republican control in 2019, resulting in continued single-party control over redistricting. In addition, the state Senate is now a Republican supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/thomas-v-bryant"&gt;Thomas v. Bryant&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Mississippi\'s 22nd state Senate district as diluting minority voting strength. The lower court and a three-judge 5th Circuit both ruled in favor of the challenge, but the case is currently awaiting oral argument before the full panel of the 5th Circuit.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Mississippi was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Mississippi was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Mississippians are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Mississippi's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the Legislature fails to adopt a state legislative map, the task falls to a partisan backup commission currently controlled by Republicans.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi law requires that state legislative l districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Mississippi law requires that congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MS', 'actions': 'Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Mississippi](https://www.commoncause.org/mississippi/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Missippi](http://www.lwv-ms.org/)\r\n\r\n[Southern Echo](https://southernecho.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "- Because of the substantial black population, Mississippi is at risk of racial gerrymandering to reduce their representation.\r\n\r\n- Mississippi has a ballot initiative process.\r\n\r\n- The governorship remained in Republican control in 2019, resulting in continued single-party control over redistricting. In addition, the state Senate is now a Republican supermajority.\r\n\r\n- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Thomas v. Bryant](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/thomas-v-bryant)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Mississippi's 22nd state Senate district as diluting minority voting strength. The lower court and a three-judge 5th Circuit both ruled in favor of the challenge, but the case is currently awaiting oral argument before the full panel of the 5th Circuit.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 7, 20, 41, 6, 95527, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Mississippi', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Mississippi was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Mississippi was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Mississippians are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Mississippi's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the Legislature fails to adopt a state legislative map, the task falls to a partisan backup commission currently controlled by Republicans.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi law requires that state legislative l districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Mississippi law requires that congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MS</guid><actions>Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Mississippi's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the Legislature fails to adopt a state legislative map, the task falls to a partisan backup commission currently controlled by Republicans.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi law requires that state legislative l districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Mississippi law requires that congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Mississippi's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the Legislature fails to adopt a state legislative map, the task falls to a partisan backup commission currently controlled by Republicans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi law requires that state legislative l districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Mississippi law requires that congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- Because of the substantial black population, Mississippi is at risk of racial gerrymandering to reduce their representation.

- Mississippi has a ballot initiative process.

- The governorship remained in Republican control in 2019, resulting in continued single-party control over redistricting. In addition, the state Senate is now a Republican supermajority.

- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Thomas v. Bryant](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/thomas-v-bryant)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Mississippi's 22nd state Senate district as diluting minority voting strength. The lower court and a three-judge 5th Circuit both ruled in favor of the challenge, but the case is currently awaiting oral argument before the full panel of the 5th Circuit.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because of the substantial black population, Mississippi is at risk of racial gerrymandering to reduce their representation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Mississippi has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The governorship remained in Republican control in 2019, resulting in continued single-party control over redistricting. In addition, the state Senate is now a Republican supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/thomas-v-bryant"&gt;Thomas v. Bryant&lt;/a&gt;) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Mississippi's 22nd state Senate district as diluting minority voting strength. The lower court and a three-judge 5th Circuit both ruled in favor of the challenge, but the case is currently awaiting oral argument before the full panel of the 5th Circuit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- Because of the substantial black population, Mississippi is at risk of racial gerrymandering to reduce their representation.

- Mississippi has a ballot initiative process.

- The governorship remained in Republican control in 2019, resulting in continued single-party control over redistricting. In addition, the state Senate is now a Republican supermajority.

- A Voting Rights Act Section 2 case ([Thomas v. Bryant](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/thomas-v-bryant)) is being considered in federal court. The case challenges Mississippi's 22nd state Senate district as diluting minority voting strength. The lower court and a three-judge 5th Circuit both ruled in favor of the challenge, but the case is currently awaiting oral argument before the full panel of the 5th Circuit.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/mississippi/"&gt;Common Cause Mississippi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwv-ms.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Missippi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://southernecho.org/"&gt;Southern Echo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 07 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Missouri</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MO</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Advocate for extending these reforms to congressional districts as well, while preventing rollback of recent reforms of the state legislative process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local newspaper and advocate for the success of the nonpartisan process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Contact your legislator in support of nonpartisan approaches to fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, contribute to public comment with maps, communities of interest, and analysis of draft maps.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Missouri redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mo/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.cleanmissouri.org/"&gt;Clean Missouri&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvstl.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, &lt;a href="http://senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;amp;BillID=26838179"&gt;SJR38&lt;/a&gt;. This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, SJR38 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. It passed the Senate on a 22-9, party line vote and is on its way to the House, where Republicans have a supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Disputes will go to the state Supreme Court, which is favorable to voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Missouri's state legislative districts will be drawn by a nonpartisan state demographer. The demographer will draft maps subject to approval by two bipartisan redistricting commissions, whose members are nominated by the state party committees and appointed by the Governor. The two bipartisan redistricting commissions can amend the demographer's district maps with a 70% vote. Without such a vote, the demographer's maps become law. The state's congressional districts will be drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and will be subject to the Governor's veto.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Missouri law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and be drawn to promote partisan symmetry. Missouri law requires that congressional districts be compact and contiguous. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MO', 'actions': "Advocate for extending these reforms to congressional districts as well, while preventing rollback of recent reforms of the state legislative process.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local newspaper and advocate for the success of the nonpartisan process.\r\n\r\n- Contact your legislator in support of nonpartisan approaches to fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, contribute to public comment with maps, communities of interest, and analysis of draft maps.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Missouri redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/mo/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Clean Missouri](https://www.cleanmissouri.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis](http://www.lwvstl.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Nonpartisan demographer', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '- The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, [SJR38](http://senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=26838179). This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, SJR38 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. It passed the Senate on a 22-9, party line vote and is on its way to the House, where Republicans have a supermajority.\r\n\r\n- Disputes will go to the state Supreme Court, which is favorable to voting rights.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 11, 15, 0, 5, 891756, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/MO', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Missouri', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Beginning in 2021, Missouri's state legislative districts will be drawn by a nonpartisan state demographer. The demographer will draft maps subject to approval by two bipartisan redistricting commissions, whose members are nominated by the state party committees and appointed by the Governor. The two bipartisan redistricting commissions can amend the demographer's district maps with a 70% vote. Without such a vote, the demographer's maps become law. The state's congressional districts will be drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and will be subject to the Governor's veto.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Missouri law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and be drawn to promote partisan symmetry. Missouri law requires that congressional districts be compact and contiguous. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MO</guid><actions>Advocate for extending these reforms to congressional districts as well, while preventing rollback of recent reforms of the state legislative process.

- Write to your local newspaper and advocate for the success of the nonpartisan process.

- Contact your legislator in support of nonpartisan approaches to fair districting.

In 2021, contribute to public comment with maps, communities of interest, and analysis of draft maps.

- Obtain Missouri redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/mo/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Advocate for extending these reforms to congressional districts as well, while preventing rollback of recent reforms of the state legislative process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local newspaper and advocate for the success of the nonpartisan process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact your legislator in support of nonpartisan approaches to fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, contribute to public comment with maps, communities of interest, and analysis of draft maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Missouri redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mo/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Beginning in 2021, Missouri's state legislative districts will be drawn by a nonpartisan state demographer. The demographer will draft maps subject to approval by two bipartisan redistricting commissions, whose members are nominated by the state party committees and appointed by the Governor. The two bipartisan redistricting commissions can amend the demographer's district maps with a 70% vote. Without such a vote, the demographer's maps become law. The state's congressional districts will be drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and will be subject to the Governor's veto.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Missouri law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and be drawn to promote partisan symmetry. Missouri law requires that congressional districts be compact and contiguous. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Missouri's state legislative districts will be drawn by a nonpartisan state demographer. The demographer will draft maps subject to approval by two bipartisan redistricting commissions, whose members are nominated by the state party committees and appointed by the Governor. The two bipartisan redistricting commissions can amend the demographer's district maps with a 70% vote. Without such a vote, the demographer's maps become law. The state's congressional districts will be drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and will be subject to the Governor's veto.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Missouri law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and be drawn to promote partisan symmetry. Missouri law requires that congressional districts be compact and contiguous. For state legislative districts only, intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, [SJR38](http://senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=26838179). This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, SJR38 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. It passed the Senate on a 22-9, party line vote and is on its way to the House, where Republicans have a supermajority.

- Disputes will go to the state Supreme Court, which is favorable to voting rights.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, &lt;a href="http://senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;amp;BillID=26838179"&gt;SJR38&lt;/a&gt;. This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, SJR38 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. It passed the Senate on a 22-9, party line vote and is on its way to the House, where Republicans have a supermajority.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Disputes will go to the state Supreme Court, which is favorable to voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution seeking to weaken Clean Missouri through a new constitutional amendment, [SJR38](http://senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=26838179). This resolution would get rid of the position of nonpartisan state demographer. Instead, SJR38 gives full redistricting power to the two bipartisan redistricting commissions. Additionally, the amendment would list partisan fairness and competitiveness at the bottom of the constitutional redistricting criteria, which are ranked in order of priority. It passed the Senate on a 22-9, party line vote and is on its way to the House, where Republicans have a supermajority.

- Disputes will go to the state Supreme Court, which is favorable to voting rights.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.cleanmissouri.org/"&gt;Clean Missouri&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvstl.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by nonpartisan demographer</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 11 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Montana</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MT</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Montana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-montana/#"&gt;Common Cause Montana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/montana"&gt;League of Women Voters of Montana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Minnesota is estimated to gain one congressional seat. If this estimation is correct, Montana\'s congressional districts will be drawn by its independent commission.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Montana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission. Currently, Montana has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Montana law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law or as a remedy in a lawsuit, as is favoring or disfavoring a party or or candidate for office.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'MT', 'actions': 'Participate in the Commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Montana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Montana](https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-montana/#)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Montana](https://my.lwv.org/montana)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Minnesota is estimated to gain one congressional seat. If this estimation is correct, Montana's congressional districts will be drawn by its independent commission.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 37, 41, 697212, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/MT', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Montana', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Montana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission. Currently, Montana has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Montana law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law or as a remedy in a lawsuit, as is favoring or disfavoring a party or or candidate for office.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/MT</guid><actions>Participate in the Commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Montana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the Commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Montana redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/mt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Montana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission. Currently, Montana has only one at-large congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Montana law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law or as a remedy in a lawsuit, as is favoring or disfavoring a party or or candidate for office.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Montana's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an independent redistricting commission. Currently, Montana has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Montana law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Consideration of partisan data is prohibited except where required by federal law or as a remedy in a lawsuit, as is favoring or disfavoring a party or or candidate for office.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Minnesota is estimated to gain one congressional seat. If this estimation is correct, Montana's congressional districts will be drawn by its independent commission.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Minnesota is estimated to gain one congressional seat. If this estimation is correct, Montana's congressional districts will be drawn by its independent commission.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Potential underrepresentation of communities of interest.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Minnesota is estimated to gain one congressional seat. If this estimation is correct, Montana's congressional districts will be drawn by its independent commission.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/states/common-cause-montana/#"&gt;Common Cause Montana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/montana"&gt;League of Women Voters of Montana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Nebraska</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NE</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is in July 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Nebraska redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ne/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/"&gt;Common Cause Nebraska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.civicnebraska.org/"&gt;Civic Nebraska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Nebraska has a ballot initiative process. Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Two redistricting bills were introduced in February 2019 and were placed on hold, awaiting a legislative study of redistricting reform. These bills, or some type of reform bill, will likely be introduced in the 2020 session.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Nebraska has a one-chamber Legislature that is nominally nonpartisan, but is in fact Republican. Its state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nebraska law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts. There are separate prohibitions for state legislative and congressional districts. State law prohibits state legislative districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data, or to intentionally favor a party, group, or person. Meanwhile, state law prohibits congressional districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data or to protect incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NE', 'actions': "Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is in July 2020.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Nebraska redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ne/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Common Cause Nebraska](https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/)\r\n\r\n[Civic Nebraska](https://www.civicnebraska.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'Nebraska has a ballot initiative process. Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.\r\n\r\nTwo redistricting bills were introduced in February 2019 and were placed on hold, awaiting a legislative study of redistricting reform. These bills, or some type of reform bill, will likely be introduced in the 2020 session.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 15, 16, 37, 8, 848639, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Nebraska', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Nebraska has a one-chamber Legislature that is nominally nonpartisan, but is in fact Republican. Its state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nebraska law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts. There are separate prohibitions for state legislative and congressional districts. State law prohibits state legislative districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data, or to intentionally favor a party, group, or person. Meanwhile, state law prohibits congressional districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data or to protect incumbents.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NE</guid><actions>Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is in July 2020.

In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Nebraska redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ne/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is in July 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Nebraska redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ne/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Nebraska has a one-chamber Legislature that is nominally nonpartisan, but is in fact Republican. Its state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nebraska law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts. There are separate prohibitions for state legislative and congressional districts. State law prohibits state legislative districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data, or to intentionally favor a party, group, or person. Meanwhile, state law prohibits congressional districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data or to protect incumbents.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Nebraska has a one-chamber Legislature that is nominally nonpartisan, but is in fact Republican. Its state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nebraska law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts. There are separate prohibitions for state legislative and congressional districts. State law prohibits state legislative districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data, or to intentionally favor a party, group, or person. Meanwhile, state law prohibits congressional districts from being drawn with the aid of partisan data or to protect incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Nebraska has a ballot initiative process. Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.

Two redistricting bills were introduced in February 2019 and were placed on hold, awaiting a legislative study of redistricting reform. These bills, or some type of reform bill, will likely be introduced in the 2020 session.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Nebraska has a ballot initiative process. Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Two redistricting bills were introduced in February 2019 and were placed on hold, awaiting a legislative study of redistricting reform. These bills, or some type of reform bill, will likely be introduced in the 2020 session.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Nebraska has a ballot initiative process. Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.

Two redistricting bills were introduced in February 2019 and were placed on hold, awaiting a legislative study of redistricting reform. These bills, or some type of reform bill, will likely be introduced in the 2020 session.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/nebraska/"&gt;Common Cause Nebraska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.civicnebraska.org/"&gt;Civic Nebraska&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 15 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Nevada</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NV</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Get commitments from all candidates to seek public input.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Advocate for a transparent comment process. This may require new legislation.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use public input process to describe your community of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Nevada redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclunv.org/en"&gt;ACLU of Nevada&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nevadansforelectionreform.org/"&gt;Nevadans for Election Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Nevada currently has single-party control over redistricting. The entire legislature is up for election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=8106"&gt;ballot initiative&lt;/a&gt; was filed Nov. 4, 2019 that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. 97,616 signatures are needed by June 16, 2020 to get on the ballot in 2020. If it approved by the public in 2020, it would have to pass again in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Nevada's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nevada law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NV', 'actions': 'Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Get commitments from all candidates to seek public input.\r\n\r\n- Advocate for a transparent comment process. This may require new legislation.\r\n\r\nUse public input process to describe your community of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Nevada redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the legislature as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[ACLU of Nevada](https://www.aclunv.org/en)\r\n\r\n[Nevadans for Election Reform](https://nevadansforelectionreform.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Nevada currently has single-party control over redistricting. The entire legislature is up for election in 2020.\r\n\r\nA [ballot initiative](https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=8106) was filed Nov. 4, 2019 that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. 97,616 signatures are needed by June 16, 2020 to get on the ballot in 2020. If it approved by the public in 2020, it would have to pass again in 2022.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 14, 16, 19, 19, 447916, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/NV', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Nevada', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Nevada's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nevada law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NV</guid><actions>Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.

- Get commitments from all candidates to seek public input.

- Advocate for a transparent comment process. This may require new legislation.

Use public input process to describe your community of interest.

- Obtain Nevada redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit maps to the legislature as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Get commitments from all candidates to seek public input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Advocate for a transparent comment process. This may require new legislation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use public input process to describe your community of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Nevada redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the legislature as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Nevada's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nevada law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Nevada's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Nevada law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and avoid pairing incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Nevada currently has single-party control over redistricting. The entire legislature is up for election in 2020.

A [ballot initiative](https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=8106) was filed Nov. 4, 2019 that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. 97,616 signatures are needed by June 16, 2020 to get on the ballot in 2020. If it approved by the public in 2020, it would have to pass again in 2022.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Nevada currently has single-party control over redistricting. The entire legislature is up for election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=8106"&gt;ballot initiative&lt;/a&gt; was filed Nov. 4, 2019 that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. 97,616 signatures are needed by June 16, 2020 to get on the ballot in 2020. If it approved by the public in 2020, it would have to pass again in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Nevada currently has single-party control over redistricting. The entire legislature is up for election in 2020.

A [ballot initiative](https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=8106) was filed Nov. 4, 2019 that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. 97,616 signatures are needed by June 16, 2020 to get on the ballot in 2020. If it approved by the public in 2020, it would have to pass again in 2022.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aclunv.org/en"&gt;ACLU of Nevada&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://nevadansforelectionreform.org/"&gt;Nevadans for Election Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 14 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>New Hampshire</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NH</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative and gubernatorial candidates that advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Hampshire redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nh/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.radnh.org/"&gt;Rights and Democracy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvnh.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of New Hampshire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;New Hampshire\'s redistricting process has split partisan control. All seats in both chambers are up in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A redistricting-commission bill, H.B. 706, &lt;a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/bill-create-independent-redistricting-commission-nh-gets-bipartisan-boost#stream/0"&gt;passed the legislature&lt;/a&gt; but was then vetoed by the Governor. The override attempt failed in September.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a bipartisan reform bill with overwhelming support in the state legislature. The attempt to override his veto failed. Electing a voting rights ally to the Governorship in 2020 will be critical to ensuring New Hampshire has fair maps in the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;New Hampshire's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Hampshire law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NH', 'actions': "In 2020, support state legislative and gubernatorial candidates that advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain New Hampshire redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nh/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Rights and Democracy](https://www.radnh.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of New Hampshire](http://lwvnh.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '- New Hampshire\'s redistricting process has split partisan control. All seats in both chambers are up in 2020.\r\n\r\n- A redistricting-commission bill, H.B. 706, &lt;a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/bill-create-independent-redistricting-commission-nh-gets-bipartisan-boost#stream/0"&gt;passed the legislature&lt;/a&gt; but was then vetoed by the Governor. The override attempt failed in September.\r\n\r\n- The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 19, 0, 31, 741244, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'New Hampshire', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a bipartisan reform bill with overwhelming support in the state legislature. The attempt to override his veto failed. Electing a voting rights ally to the Governorship in 2020 will be critical to ensuring New Hampshire has fair maps in the next decade.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "New Hampshire's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Hampshire law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NH</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative and gubernatorial candidates that advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain New Hampshire redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nh/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative and gubernatorial candidates that advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Hampshire redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nh/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>New Hampshire's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Hampshire law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New Hampshire's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Hampshire law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- New Hampshire's redistricting process has split partisan control. All seats in both chambers are up in 2020.

- A redistricting-commission bill, H.B. 706, &lt;a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/bill-create-independent-redistricting-commission-nh-gets-bipartisan-boost#stream/0"&gt;passed the legislature&lt;/a&gt; but was then vetoed by the Governor. The override attempt failed in September.

- The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;New Hampshire's redistricting process has split partisan control. All seats in both chambers are up in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A redistricting-commission bill, H.B. 706, &lt;a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/bill-create-independent-redistricting-commission-nh-gets-bipartisan-boost#stream/0"&gt;passed the legislature&lt;/a&gt; but was then vetoed by the Governor. The override attempt failed in September.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- New Hampshire's redistricting process has split partisan control. All seats in both chambers are up in 2020.

- A redistricting-commission bill, H.B. 706, &lt;a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/bill-create-independent-redistricting-commission-nh-gets-bipartisan-boost#stream/0"&gt;passed the legislature&lt;/a&gt; but was then vetoed by the Governor. The override attempt failed in September.

- The Governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.radnh.org/"&gt;Rights and Democracy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvnh.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of New Hampshire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>New Jersey</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NJ</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the existing system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;Advocate for a genuinely fair constitutional amendment that creates an independent redistricting commission.&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Commissions to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Jersey redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nj/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/"&gt;Princeton Gerrymandering Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.njisj.org/"&gt;New Jersey Institute for Social Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;New Jersey uses politician-appointed bipartisan commissions to draw both congressional and legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2018, a proposed constitutional amendment was stopped by a combination of citizen-activists and analysts on the grounds that it would not stop gerrymandering and was intended to entrench the majority party (Democrats).&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;New Jersey\'s state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by two different partisan commissions comprised of politicians. Each commission has equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with a tie-breaking chair selected by the other commissioners.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Jersey law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In January 2020, Gov. Murphy signed &lt;a href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4564_R2.PDF"&gt;the Voter Precinct Transparency Act&lt;/a&gt; into law, which will require the publication of precinct shapefiles on the NJ Div. of Elections website and election results on individual county clerks\' websites.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'NJ', 'actions': "Defend the existing system while advocating for further reforms.\r\n\r\n- Advocate for a genuinely fair constitutional amendment that creates an independent redistricting commission.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Commissions to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain New Jersey redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nj/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Princeton Gerrymandering Project](http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/)\r\n\r\n[New Jersey Institute for Social Justice](https://www.njisj.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Partisan Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Partisan Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'New Jersey uses politician-appointed bipartisan commissions to draw both congressional and legislative districts.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, a proposed constitutional amendment was stopped by a combination of citizen-activists and analysts on the grounds that it would not stop gerrymandering and was intended to entrench the majority party (Democrats).', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 21, 18, 42, 14, 661096, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/NJ', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'New Jersey', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "New Jersey's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by two different partisan commissions comprised of politicians. Each commission has equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with a tie-breaking chair selected by the other commissioners.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Jersey law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.\r\n\r\nIn January 2020, Gov. Murphy signed [the Voter Precinct Transparency Act](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4564_R2.PDF) into law, which will require the publication of precinct shapefiles on the NJ Div. of Elections website and election results on individual county clerks' websites.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NJ</guid><actions>Defend the existing system while advocating for further reforms.

- Advocate for a genuinely fair constitutional amendment that creates an independent redistricting commission.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Commissions to draw fair districts.

- Obtain New Jersey redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nj/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the existing system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advocate for a genuinely fair constitutional amendment that creates an independent redistricting commission.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Commissions to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Jersey redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nj/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>New Jersey's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by two different partisan commissions comprised of politicians. Each commission has equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with a tie-breaking chair selected by the other commissioners.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Jersey law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.

In January 2020, Gov. Murphy signed [the Voter Precinct Transparency Act](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4564_R2.PDF) into law, which will require the publication of precinct shapefiles on the NJ Div. of Elections website and election results on individual county clerks' websites.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New Jersey's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by two different partisan commissions comprised of politicians. Each commission has equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with a tie-breaking chair selected by the other commissioners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Jersey law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In January 2020, Gov. Murphy signed &lt;a href="https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4564_R2.PDF"&gt;the Voter Precinct Transparency Act&lt;/a&gt; into law, which will require the publication of precinct shapefiles on the NJ Div. of Elections website and election results on individual county clerks' websites.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>New Jersey uses politician-appointed bipartisan commissions to draw both congressional and legislative districts.

In 2018, a proposed constitutional amendment was stopped by a combination of citizen-activists and analysts on the grounds that it would not stop gerrymandering and was intended to entrench the majority party (Democrats).</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New Jersey uses politician-appointed bipartisan commissions to draw both congressional and legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2018, a proposed constitutional amendment was stopped by a combination of citizen-activists and analysts on the grounds that it would not stop gerrymandering and was intended to entrench the majority party (Democrats).&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>New Jersey uses politician-appointed bipartisan commissions to draw both congressional and legislative districts.

In 2018, a proposed constitutional amendment was stopped by a combination of citizen-activists and analysts on the grounds that it would not stop gerrymandering and was intended to entrench the majority party (Democrats).</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/"&gt;Princeton Gerrymandering Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.njisj.org/"&gt;New Jersey Institute for Social Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by partisan commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by partisan commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 21 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>New Mexico</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NM</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who will back fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent citizens\' redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Contact Common Cause New Mexico to work on redistricting issues.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature for fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Mexico redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nm/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/new-mexico/"&gt;Common Cause New Mexico&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvnm.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of New Mexico&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;New Mexico has varied ethnic communities predating the United States. These are unusual and important local circumstances requiring protection in the districting process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire New Mexico Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;New Mexico's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Mexico law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NM', 'actions': "In 2020, support state legislative candidates who will back fair districting.\r\n\r\n- Advocate for an independent citizens' redistricting commission.\r\n\r\n- Contact Common Cause New Mexico to work on redistricting issues.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature for fair districts and to identify communities.\r\n\r\n- Obtain New Mexico redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nm/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': 7, 'contacts': '[Common Cause New Mexico](https://www.commoncause.org/new-mexico/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of New Mexico](https://www.lwvnm.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'New Mexico has varied ethnic communities predating the United States. These are unusual and important local circumstances requiring protection in the districting process.\r\n\r\nThe entire New Mexico Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 19, 12, 45, 487784, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/NM', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'New Mexico', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the Legislature and the Governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "New Mexico's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Mexico law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NM</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative candidates who will back fair districting.

- Advocate for an independent citizens' redistricting commission.

- Contact Common Cause New Mexico to work on redistricting issues.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature for fair districts and to identify communities.

- Obtain New Mexico redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/nm/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who will back fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent citizens' redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact Common Cause New Mexico to work on redistricting issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature for fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain New Mexico redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nm/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>New Mexico's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Mexico law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New Mexico's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New Mexico law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>New Mexico has varied ethnic communities predating the United States. These are unusual and important local circumstances requiring protection in the districting process.

The entire New Mexico Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New Mexico has varied ethnic communities predating the United States. These are unusual and important local circumstances requiring protection in the districting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire New Mexico Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>New Mexico has varied ethnic communities predating the United States. These are unusual and important local circumstances requiring protection in the districting process.

The entire New Mexico Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/new-mexico/"&gt;Common Cause New Mexico&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvnm.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of New Mexico&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>New York</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NY</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use the public input process to push the Commission toward fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain New York redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ny/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/redistricting"&gt;Brennan Center for Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/new-york/"&gt;Common Cause New York&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nyclu.org/en"&gt;New York Civil Liberties Union&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;New York\'s redistricting process has been contentious in the past. The current maps were drawn by a court-appointed special master.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire New York Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020. Support candidates who will protect the new Commission while pushing for further reform.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, New York is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, New York's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a ten-member commission, which will submit proposed plans to the state legislature for an up-or-down vote. Only after the Commission rejects two proposed maps will the Legislature be permitted to make amendments to the Commission's proposals.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New York law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NY', 'actions': 'Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.\r\n\r\n- The success of this Commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use the public input process to push the Commission toward fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain New York redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ny/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Brennan Center for Justice](https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/redistricting)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause New York](https://www.commoncause.org/new-york/)\r\n\r\n[New York Civil Liberties Union](https://www.nyclu.org/en)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'draws_state_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "New York's redistricting process has been contentious in the past. The current maps were drawn by a court-appointed special master.\r\n\r\nThe entire New York Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020. Support candidates who will protect the new Commission while pushing for further reform.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, New York is estimated to lose one congressional seat.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 42, 43, 568981, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/NY', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'New York', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Beginning in 2021, New York's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a ten-member commission, which will submit proposed plans to the state legislature for an up-or-down vote. Only after the Commission rejects two proposed maps will the Legislature be permitted to make amendments to the Commission's proposals.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New York law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NY</guid><actions>Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.

- The success of this Commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!

In 2021, use the public input process to push the Commission toward fair districts.

- Obtain New York redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ny/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use the public input process to push the Commission toward fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain New York redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ny/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Beginning in 2021, New York's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a ten-member commission, which will submit proposed plans to the state legislature for an up-or-down vote. Only after the Commission rejects two proposed maps will the Legislature be permitted to make amendments to the Commission's proposals.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New York law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, New York's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a ten-member commission, which will submit proposed plans to the state legislature for an up-or-down vote. Only after the Commission rejects two proposed maps will the Legislature be permitted to make amendments to the Commission's proposals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, New York law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>New York's redistricting process has been contentious in the past. The current maps were drawn by a court-appointed special master.

The entire New York Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020. Support candidates who will protect the new Commission while pushing for further reform.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, New York is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;New York's redistricting process has been contentious in the past. The current maps were drawn by a court-appointed special master.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire New York Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020. Support candidates who will protect the new Commission while pushing for further reform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, New York is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>New York's redistricting process has been contentious in the past. The current maps were drawn by a court-appointed special master.

The entire New York Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020. Support candidates who will protect the new Commission while pushing for further reform.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, New York is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/redistricting"&gt;Brennan Center for Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/new-york/"&gt;Common Cause New York&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.nyclu.org/en"&gt;New York Civil Liberties Union&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>North Carolina</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NC</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, run for legislature yourself.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Because the Governor cannot veto redistricting plans, flipping a chamber to create divided government is the only way to create a structural roadblock to gerrymandering absent reform legislation or legal action.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain North Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.southerncoalition.org/"&gt;Southern Coalition for Social Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Professor Jonathan Mattingly, Duke University. Statistical expert.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/actions/end-gerrymandering-now/#"&gt;End Gerrymandering Now (Common Cause)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.nclobbyreform.org/"&gt;NC Coalition for Lobbying &amp;amp; Government Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn as a result of federal racial-gerrymandering lawsuits, a strong pro-Republican bias remains. Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A Supreme Court decision (&lt;a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/06/opinion-analysis-no-role-for-courts-in-partisan-gerrymandering/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rucho v. Common Cause&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) left the current congressional map in place and set a precedent against federal intervention in partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A case in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/common-cause-v-lewis"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Common Cause v. Lewis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), concerning state legislative districts, ruled that 77 state legislative districts were unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Following a remedial linedrawing process, the Court accepted the General Assembly\'s remedial maps, which redrew these 77 districts. The process likely included inherent Republican bias, which PGP explained in an &lt;a href="https://web.math.princeton.edu/~sswang/Wang-PGP-brief_CommonCause-v-Lewis_27sep2019_evaluating-GA-remedial-plans.pdf"&gt;amicus brief&lt;/a&gt;. The plaintiffs filed a petition for discretionary review, but it was denied by the NC Supreme Court. They elected not to appeal the case, leaving the remedial maps in tact for 2020. Lastly, this case also gave rise to questions over the confidentiality of the files of Dr. Thomas Hofeller, and the Court &lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/media/court-permits-the-release-of-hofeller-files-in-several-key-states/"&gt;lifted the confidentiality order&lt;/a&gt; on these files in many states on Nov. 4, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Another case was brought in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/harper-v-lewis"&gt;Harper v. Lewis&lt;/a&gt;) challenging the congressional map under the state constitution, relying largely upon the extensive record from Rucho v. Common Cause. The court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the map from being used in 2020, on similar grounds as in Common Cause v. Lewis. The General Assembly proactively drew a &lt;a href="https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H1029"&gt;remedial map&lt;/a&gt;, which the Harper plaintiffs challenged. Due to the time constraint of the 2020 primary, the N.C. Superior Court &lt;a href="http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/12/02/breaking-state-court-cites-time-constraints-in-approving-congressional-maps-that-are-not-perfect/"&gt;upheld the map&lt;/a&gt;, recognizing that the districts and the process were not perfect. &lt;a href="https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;amp;id=1e0ea1e473"&gt;Our own analysis&lt;/a&gt; noted the partial successes and lessons arising from the congressional redraw.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In the N.C. General Assembly, six different bills have been introduced to change the redistricting process. Of these, &lt;a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H69"&gt;H69&lt;/a&gt; would set up an independent commission, public hearings, and prohibit partisan bias in maps. H140, on the other hand, lacks the hallmarks of a true redistricting reform bill, as noted by &lt;a href="https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;amp;id=d5515944a6"&gt;our analysis&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, North Carolina is estimated to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;North Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute. Unlike most states, the resulting plans are not subject to the Governor's veto. These plans must be approved by December 6, 2021, the candidate filing deadline for the 2022 primaries.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Using racial data is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2011, the General Assembly held public hearings from April 28 to May 9. Without a change in the law, a similar timeline is likely. Following the recent state court cases, it is possible that the redistricting process will be more transparent, but there is no specific mandate for such an outcome.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'NC', 'actions': 'In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\n- Alternatively, run for legislature yourself.\r\n\r\n- Because the Governor cannot veto redistricting plans, flipping a chamber to create divided government is the only way to create a structural roadblock to gerrymandering absent reform legislation or legal action.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards fair districts and to identify communities.\r\n\r\n- Obtain North Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Southern Coalition for Social Justice](https://www.southerncoalition.org/)\r\n\r\nProfessor Jonathan Mattingly, Duke University. Statistical expert.\r\n\r\n[End Gerrymandering Now (Common Cause)](https://www.commoncause.org/actions/end-gerrymandering-now/#)\r\n\r\n[NC Coalition for Lobbying &amp; Government Reform](http://www.nclobbyreform.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn as a result of federal racial-gerrymandering lawsuits, a strong pro-Republican bias remains. Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias.\r\n\r\n- A Supreme Court decision (&lt;a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/06/opinion-analysis-no-role-for-courts-in-partisan-gerrymandering/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rucho v. Common Cause&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) left the current congressional map in place and set a precedent against federal intervention in partisan gerrymandering.\r\n\r\n- A case in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/common-cause-v-lewis"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Common Cause v. Lewis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), concerning state legislative districts, ruled that 77 state legislative districts were unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Following a remedial linedrawing process, the Court accepted the General Assembly\'s remedial maps, which redrew these 77 districts. The process likely included inherent Republican bias, which PGP explained in an [amicus brief](https://web.math.princeton.edu/~sswang/Wang-PGP-brief_CommonCause-v-Lewis_27sep2019_evaluating-GA-remedial-plans.pdf). The plaintiffs filed a petition for discretionary review, but it was denied by the NC Supreme Court. They elected not to appeal the case, leaving the remedial maps in tact for 2020. Lastly, this case also gave rise to questions over the confidentiality of the files of Dr. Thomas Hofeller, and the Court [lifted the confidentiality order](https://www.commoncause.org/media/court-permits-the-release-of-hofeller-files-in-several-key-states/) on these files in many states on Nov. 4, 2019.\r\n\r\n- Another case was brought in state court ([Harper v. Lewis](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/harper-v-lewis)) challenging the congressional map under the state constitution, relying largely upon the extensive record from Rucho v. Common Cause. The court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the map from being used in 2020, on similar grounds as in Common Cause v. Lewis. The General Assembly proactively drew a [remedial map](https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H1029), which the Harper plaintiffs challenged. Due to the time constraint of the 2020 primary, the N.C. Superior Court [upheld the map](http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/12/02/breaking-state-court-cites-time-constraints-in-approving-congressional-maps-that-are-not-perfect/), recognizing that the districts and the process were not perfect. [Our own analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=1e0ea1e473) noted the partial successes and lessons arising from the congressional redraw.\r\n\r\nIn the N.C. General Assembly, six different bills have been introduced to change the redistricting process. Of these, [H69](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H69) would set up an independent commission, public hearings, and prohibit partisan bias in maps. H140, on the other hand, lacks the hallmarks of a true redistricting reform bill, as noted by [our analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=d5515944a6).\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, North Carolina is estimated to gain one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 12, 15, 29, 31, 535467, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/NC', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'North Carolina', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "North Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute. Unlike most states, the resulting plans are not subject to the Governor's veto. These plans must be approved by December 6, 2021, the candidate filing deadline for the 2022 primaries.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Using racial data is prohibited.\r\n\r\nIn 2011, the General Assembly held public hearings from April 28 to May 9. Without a change in the law, a similar timeline is likely. Following the recent state court cases, it is possible that the redistricting process will be more transparent, but there is no specific mandate for such an outcome.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 5}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/NC</guid><actions>In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

- Alternatively, run for legislature yourself.

- Because the Governor cannot veto redistricting plans, flipping a chamber to create divided government is the only way to create a structural roadblock to gerrymandering absent reform legislation or legal action.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards fair districts and to identify communities.

- Obtain North Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Alternatively, run for legislature yourself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because the Governor cannot veto redistricting plans, flipping a chamber to create divided government is the only way to create a structural roadblock to gerrymandering absent reform legislation or legal action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain North Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>North Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute. Unlike most states, the resulting plans are not subject to the Governor's veto. These plans must be approved by December 6, 2021, the candidate filing deadline for the 2022 primaries.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Using racial data is prohibited.

In 2011, the General Assembly held public hearings from April 28 to May 9. Without a change in the law, a similar timeline is likely. Following the recent state court cases, it is possible that the redistricting process will be more transparent, but there is no specific mandate for such an outcome.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;North Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute. Unlike most states, the resulting plans are not subject to the Governor's veto. These plans must be approved by December 6, 2021, the candidate filing deadline for the 2022 primaries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Using racial data is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2011, the General Assembly held public hearings from April 28 to May 9. Without a change in the law, a similar timeline is likely. Following the recent state court cases, it is possible that the redistricting process will be more transparent, but there is no specific mandate for such an outcome.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn as a result of federal racial-gerrymandering lawsuits, a strong pro-Republican bias remains. Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias.

- A Supreme Court decision (&lt;a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/06/opinion-analysis-no-role-for-courts-in-partisan-gerrymandering/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rucho v. Common Cause&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) left the current congressional map in place and set a precedent against federal intervention in partisan gerrymandering.

- A case in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/common-cause-v-lewis"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Common Cause v. Lewis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), concerning state legislative districts, ruled that 77 state legislative districts were unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Following a remedial linedrawing process, the Court accepted the General Assembly's remedial maps, which redrew these 77 districts. The process likely included inherent Republican bias, which PGP explained in an [amicus brief](https://web.math.princeton.edu/~sswang/Wang-PGP-brief_CommonCause-v-Lewis_27sep2019_evaluating-GA-remedial-plans.pdf). The plaintiffs filed a petition for discretionary review, but it was denied by the NC Supreme Court. They elected not to appeal the case, leaving the remedial maps in tact for 2020. Lastly, this case also gave rise to questions over the confidentiality of the files of Dr. Thomas Hofeller, and the Court [lifted the confidentiality order](https://www.commoncause.org/media/court-permits-the-release-of-hofeller-files-in-several-key-states/) on these files in many states on Nov. 4, 2019.

- Another case was brought in state court ([Harper v. Lewis](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/harper-v-lewis)) challenging the congressional map under the state constitution, relying largely upon the extensive record from Rucho v. Common Cause. The court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the map from being used in 2020, on similar grounds as in Common Cause v. Lewis. The General Assembly proactively drew a [remedial map](https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H1029), which the Harper plaintiffs challenged. Due to the time constraint of the 2020 primary, the N.C. Superior Court [upheld the map](http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/12/02/breaking-state-court-cites-time-constraints-in-approving-congressional-maps-that-are-not-perfect/), recognizing that the districts and the process were not perfect. [Our own analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=1e0ea1e473) noted the partial successes and lessons arising from the congressional redraw.

In the N.C. General Assembly, six different bills have been introduced to change the redistricting process. Of these, [H69](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H69) would set up an independent commission, public hearings, and prohibit partisan bias in maps. H140, on the other hand, lacks the hallmarks of a true redistricting reform bill, as noted by [our analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=d5515944a6).

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, North Carolina is estimated to gain one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn as a result of federal racial-gerrymandering lawsuits, a strong pro-Republican bias remains. Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Supreme Court decision (&lt;a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/06/opinion-analysis-no-role-for-courts-in-partisan-gerrymandering/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rucho v. Common Cause&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) left the current congressional map in place and set a precedent against federal intervention in partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A case in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/common-cause-v-lewis"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Common Cause v. Lewis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), concerning state legislative districts, ruled that 77 state legislative districts were unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Following a remedial linedrawing process, the Court accepted the General Assembly's remedial maps, which redrew these 77 districts. The process likely included inherent Republican bias, which PGP explained in an &lt;a href="https://web.math.princeton.edu/~sswang/Wang-PGP-brief_CommonCause-v-Lewis_27sep2019_evaluating-GA-remedial-plans.pdf"&gt;amicus brief&lt;/a&gt;. The plaintiffs filed a petition for discretionary review, but it was denied by the NC Supreme Court. They elected not to appeal the case, leaving the remedial maps in tact for 2020. Lastly, this case also gave rise to questions over the confidentiality of the files of Dr. Thomas Hofeller, and the Court &lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/media/court-permits-the-release-of-hofeller-files-in-several-key-states/"&gt;lifted the confidentiality order&lt;/a&gt; on these files in many states on Nov. 4, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Another case was brought in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/harper-v-lewis"&gt;Harper v. Lewis&lt;/a&gt;) challenging the congressional map under the state constitution, relying largely upon the extensive record from Rucho v. Common Cause. The court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the map from being used in 2020, on similar grounds as in Common Cause v. Lewis. The General Assembly proactively drew a &lt;a href="https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H1029"&gt;remedial map&lt;/a&gt;, which the Harper plaintiffs challenged. Due to the time constraint of the 2020 primary, the N.C. Superior Court &lt;a href="http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/12/02/breaking-state-court-cites-time-constraints-in-approving-congressional-maps-that-are-not-perfect/"&gt;upheld the map&lt;/a&gt;, recognizing that the districts and the process were not perfect. &lt;a href="https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;amp;id=1e0ea1e473"&gt;Our own analysis&lt;/a&gt; noted the partial successes and lessons arising from the congressional redraw.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the N.C. General Assembly, six different bills have been introduced to change the redistricting process. Of these, &lt;a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H69"&gt;H69&lt;/a&gt; would set up an independent commission, public hearings, and prohibit partisan bias in maps. H140, on the other hand, lacks the hallmarks of a true redistricting reform bill, as noted by &lt;a href="https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;amp;id=d5515944a6"&gt;our analysis&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, North Carolina is estimated to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn as a result of federal racial-gerrymandering lawsuits, a strong pro-Republican bias remains. Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias.

- A Supreme Court decision (&lt;a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2019/06/opinion-analysis-no-role-for-courts-in-partisan-gerrymandering/"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rucho v. Common Cause&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) left the current congressional map in place and set a precedent against federal intervention in partisan gerrymandering.

- A case in state court (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/common-cause-v-lewis"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Common Cause v. Lewis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;), concerning state legislative districts, ruled that 77 state legislative districts were unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Following a remedial linedrawing process, the Court accepted the General Assembly's remedial maps, which redrew these 77 districts. The process likely included inherent Republican bias, which PGP explained in an [amicus brief](https://web.math.princeton.edu/~sswang/Wang-PGP-brief_CommonCause-v-Lewis_27sep2019_evaluating-GA-remedial-plans.pdf). The plaintiffs filed a petition for discretionary review, but it was denied by the NC Supreme Court. They elected not to appeal the case, leaving the remedial maps in tact for 2020. Lastly, this case also gave rise to questions over the confidentiality of the files of Dr. Thomas Hofeller, and the Court [lifted the confidentiality order](https://www.commoncause.org/media/court-permits-the-release-of-hofeller-files-in-several-key-states/) on these files in many states on Nov. 4, 2019.

- Another case was brought in state court ([Harper v. Lewis](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/harper-v-lewis)) challenging the congressional map under the state constitution, relying largely upon the extensive record from Rucho v. Common Cause. The court issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the map from being used in 2020, on similar grounds as in Common Cause v. Lewis. The General Assembly proactively drew a [remedial map](https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H1029), which the Harper plaintiffs challenged. Due to the time constraint of the 2020 primary, the N.C. Superior Court [upheld the map](http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2019/12/02/breaking-state-court-cites-time-constraints-in-approving-congressional-maps-that-are-not-perfect/), recognizing that the districts and the process were not perfect. [Our own analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=1e0ea1e473) noted the partial successes and lessons arising from the congressional redraw.

In the N.C. General Assembly, six different bills have been introduced to change the redistricting process. Of these, [H69](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2019/H69) would set up an independent commission, public hearings, and prohibit partisan bias in maps. H140, on the other hand, lacks the hallmarks of a true redistricting reform bill, as noted by [our analysis](https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=1ed63aa66c770d4c2a680227d&amp;id=d5515944a6).

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, North Carolina is estimated to gain one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.southerncoalition.org/"&gt;Southern Coalition for Social Justice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Professor Jonathan Mattingly, Duke University. Statistical expert.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/actions/end-gerrymandering-now/#"&gt;End Gerrymandering Now (Common Cause)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.nclobbyreform.org/"&gt;NC Coalition for Lobbying &amp;amp; Government Reform&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 12 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>North Dakota</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ND</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is four months prior to election day, or July 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain North Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvnd.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of North Dakota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;North Dakota has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Half of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;North Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. It has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'ND', 'actions': 'Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is four months prior to election day, or July 2020.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Obtain North Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of North Dakota](http://www.lwvnd.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.\r\n\r\nNorth Dakota has a ballot initiative process.\r\n\r\nThe governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.\r\n\r\nHalf of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 19, 55, 47, 819373, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'North Dakota', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "North Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. It has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/ND</guid><actions>Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is four months prior to election day, or July 2020.

In 2021, stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Obtain North Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process. The deadline to submit signatures for a petition to appear on the 2020 ballot is four months prior to election day, or July 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain North Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/nd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>North Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. It has only one at-large congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;North Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. It has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve the cores of prior districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

North Dakota has a ballot initiative process.

The governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.

Half of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;North Dakota has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Half of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>North Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

North Dakota has a ballot initiative process.

The governorship is up for election in November 2020. A Republican win will lead to continued single-party control over redistricting. A Democratic win will lead to bipartisan control.

Half of North Dakota's House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2020.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvnd.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of North Dakota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Ohio</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OH</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020 and 2022, work on judicial elections.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature and Commission towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Ohio redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/oh/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.acluohio.org/"&gt;ACLU of Ohio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.fairdistrictsohio.org/"&gt;Fair Districts = Fair Elections&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://ohvoice.org/"&gt;Ohio Voice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/ohio"&gt;League of Women Voters of Ohio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Disputes will be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is currently conservative-dominated. Two seats on the state Supreme Court are up for election in 2020. These elections, combined with later elections in 2022, will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire Ohio House and half of the Ohio Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Supreme Court sent a federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/ohio-philip-randolph-inst-v-householder"&gt;Randolph Institute v. Householder&lt;/a&gt;) back to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court\'s ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Ohio is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Ohio will use two unique systems to draw its congressional and state legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;For congressional districts, the Legislature must attempt to pass redistricting plans that attract support from both parties. If this fails, then the task goes to a commission whose members are appointed by politicians. This seven-member commission is made of the Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State, and one person appointed by each state legislative leader. The only limitation is that members cannot be members of Congress. If the commission fails, then the task goes back to the Legislature. If there is still a lack of bipartisan support, the resulting plan will go into effect for only four years, after which this process will begin again. These maps must be adopted by October 31, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;For state legislative districts, the same seven-member commission that serves as a backup for drawing congressional districts has the primary responsibility for drawing state legislative maps. The length of time for which the maps are in effect depends on the breakdown for how they are adopted: if at least two commissioners aligned with both parties vote for the maps, they remain in effect for the entire decade. But if the maps are adopted on a party-line vote, they will only be in effect for four years. These maps must be adopted by September 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Ohio law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Favoring an incumbent or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The two processes for the drawing of maps have separate public input requirements. Both, however, require the acceptance of public map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;For the congressional process, either a joint committee of the legislature or the backup commission, depending on the stage of the process, must hold at least two public hearings before adopting a map.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;For the state legislative process, the commission must hold at least three public hearings prior to adopting a map. Additionally, the state legislative commission must electronically broadcast its meetings in a publicly accessible way.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'OH', 'actions': "Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\n- In 2020 and 2022, work on judicial elections.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature and Commission towards drawing fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Ohio redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/oh/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[ACLU of Ohio](https://www.acluohio.org/)\r\n\r\n[Fair Districts = Fair Elections](http://www.fairdistrictsohio.org/)\r\n\r\n[Ohio Voice](https://ohvoice.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Ohio](https://my.lwv.org/ohio)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Hybrid legislative/commission system', 'draws_state_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "- Disputes will be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is currently conservative-dominated. Two seats on the state Supreme Court are up for election in 2020. These elections, combined with later elections in 2022, will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court.\r\n\r\n- The entire Ohio House and half of the Ohio Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.\r\n\r\n- The Supreme Court sent a federal lawsuit ([Randolph Institute v. Householder](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/ohio-philip-randolph-inst-v-householder)) back to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Ohio is estimated to lose one congressional seat.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 25, 20, 36, 59, 317220, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/OH', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Ohio', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': 'Beginning in 2021, Ohio will use two unique systems to draw its congressional and state legislative districts.\r\n\r\n- For congressional districts, the Legislature must attempt to pass redistricting plans that attract support from both parties. If this fails, then the task goes to a commission whose members are appointed by politicians. This seven-member commission is made of the Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State, and one person appointed by each state legislative leader. The only limitation is that members cannot be members of Congress. If the commission fails, then the task goes back to the Legislature. If there is still a lack of bipartisan support, the resulting plan will go into effect for only four years, after which this process will begin again. These maps must be adopted by October 31, 2021.\r\n\r\n- For state legislative districts, the same seven-member commission that serves as a backup for drawing congressional districts has the primary responsibility for drawing state legislative maps. The length of time for which the maps are in effect depends on the breakdown for how they are adopted: if at least two commissioners aligned with both parties vote for the maps, they remain in effect for the entire decade. But if the maps are adopted on a party-line vote, they will only be in effect for four years. These maps must be adopted by September 1, 2021.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Ohio law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Favoring an incumbent or party is prohibited.\r\n\r\nThe two processes for the drawing of maps have separate public input requirements. Both, however, require the acceptance of public map submissions.\r\n\r\n- For the congressional process, either a joint committee of the legislature or the backup commission, depending on the stage of the process, must hold at least two public hearings before adopting a map.\r\n\r\n- For the state legislative process, the commission must hold at least three public hearings prior to adopting a map. Additionally, the state legislative commission must electronically broadcast its meetings in a publicly accessible way.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OH</guid><actions>Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.

- In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

- In 2020 and 2022, work on judicial elections.

In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature and Commission towards drawing fair districts.

- Obtain Ohio redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/oh/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the new system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020 and 2022, work on judicial elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature and Commission towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Ohio redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/oh/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Beginning in 2021, Ohio will use two unique systems to draw its congressional and state legislative districts.

- For congressional districts, the Legislature must attempt to pass redistricting plans that attract support from both parties. If this fails, then the task goes to a commission whose members are appointed by politicians. This seven-member commission is made of the Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State, and one person appointed by each state legislative leader. The only limitation is that members cannot be members of Congress. If the commission fails, then the task goes back to the Legislature. If there is still a lack of bipartisan support, the resulting plan will go into effect for only four years, after which this process will begin again. These maps must be adopted by October 31, 2021.

- For state legislative districts, the same seven-member commission that serves as a backup for drawing congressional districts has the primary responsibility for drawing state legislative maps. The length of time for which the maps are in effect depends on the breakdown for how they are adopted: if at least two commissioners aligned with both parties vote for the maps, they remain in effect for the entire decade. But if the maps are adopted on a party-line vote, they will only be in effect for four years. These maps must be adopted by September 1, 2021.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Ohio law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Favoring an incumbent or party is prohibited.

The two processes for the drawing of maps have separate public input requirements. Both, however, require the acceptance of public map submissions.

- For the congressional process, either a joint committee of the legislature or the backup commission, depending on the stage of the process, must hold at least two public hearings before adopting a map.

- For the state legislative process, the commission must hold at least three public hearings prior to adopting a map. Additionally, the state legislative commission must electronically broadcast its meetings in a publicly accessible way.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Ohio will use two unique systems to draw its congressional and state legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For congressional districts, the Legislature must attempt to pass redistricting plans that attract support from both parties. If this fails, then the task goes to a commission whose members are appointed by politicians. This seven-member commission is made of the Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State, and one person appointed by each state legislative leader. The only limitation is that members cannot be members of Congress. If the commission fails, then the task goes back to the Legislature. If there is still a lack of bipartisan support, the resulting plan will go into effect for only four years, after which this process will begin again. These maps must be adopted by October 31, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For state legislative districts, the same seven-member commission that serves as a backup for drawing congressional districts has the primary responsibility for drawing state legislative maps. The length of time for which the maps are in effect depends on the breakdown for how they are adopted: if at least two commissioners aligned with both parties vote for the maps, they remain in effect for the entire decade. But if the maps are adopted on a party-line vote, they will only be in effect for four years. These maps must be adopted by September 1, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Ohio law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. Favoring an incumbent or party is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The two processes for the drawing of maps have separate public input requirements. Both, however, require the acceptance of public map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For the congressional process, either a joint committee of the legislature or the backup commission, depending on the stage of the process, must hold at least two public hearings before adopting a map.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For the state legislative process, the commission must hold at least three public hearings prior to adopting a map. Additionally, the state legislative commission must electronically broadcast its meetings in a publicly accessible way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- Disputes will be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is currently conservative-dominated. Two seats on the state Supreme Court are up for election in 2020. These elections, combined with later elections in 2022, will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court.

- The entire Ohio House and half of the Ohio Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.

- The Supreme Court sent a federal lawsuit ([Randolph Institute v. Householder](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/ohio-philip-randolph-inst-v-householder)) back to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Ohio is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Disputes will be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is currently conservative-dominated. Two seats on the state Supreme Court are up for election in 2020. These elections, combined with later elections in 2022, will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire Ohio House and half of the Ohio Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Supreme Court sent a federal lawsuit (&lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/ohio-philip-randolph-inst-v-householder"&gt;Randolph Institute v. Householder&lt;/a&gt;) back to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Ohio is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- Disputes will be decided by the state Supreme Court, which is currently conservative-dominated. Two seats on the state Supreme Court are up for election in 2020. These elections, combined with later elections in 2022, will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court.

- The entire Ohio House and half of the Ohio Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.

- The Supreme Court sent a federal lawsuit ([Randolph Institute v. Householder](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/ohio-philip-randolph-inst-v-householder)) back to the district court to be dismissed in light of the Court's ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Ohio is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.acluohio.org/"&gt;ACLU of Ohio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.fairdistrictsohio.org/"&gt;Fair Districts = Fair Elections&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://ohvoice.org/"&gt;Ohio Voice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/ohio"&gt;League of Women Voters of Ohio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid legislative/commission system</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 25 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Oklahoma</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OK</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support State Question 810 to establish an independent redistricting commission in Oklahoma.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;After being cleared for circulation, supporters will have 90 days to collect 177,958 signatures for the initiative to be on the 2020 ballot.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Attend a &lt;a href="https://www.mobilize.us/peoplenotpoliticians/"&gt;town hall event&lt;/a&gt; about the initiative.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Oklahoma redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ok/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.peoplenotpoliticians.org/"&gt;People Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://letsfixthisok.org/"&gt;Let\'s Fix This OK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvok.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Oklahoma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Because of the substantial Native American population, Oklahoma has special challenges in making certain that they are represented.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Oklahoma has a ballot initiative process. An initiative was filed with the Secretary of State that would create an independent redistricting commission. However, this first initiative was struck by a court because its "gist," or short explanation, did not properly notify what the initiative was about. Since that ruling, People Not Politicians has refiled its initiative, now &lt;a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/810.pdf"&gt;State Question 810&lt;/a&gt;, to correct this.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire Oklahoma House and half of the Oklahoma Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Oklahoma's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oklahoma law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'OK', 'actions': "Support State Question 810 to establish an independent redistricting commission in Oklahoma.\r\n\r\n- After being cleared for circulation, supporters will have 90 days to collect 177,958 signatures for the initiative to be on the 2020 ballot.\r\n\r\n- Attend a [town hall event](https://www.mobilize.us/peoplenotpoliticians/) about the initiative.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Oklahoma redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ok/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': "[People Not Politicians](https://www.peoplenotpoliticians.org/)\r\n\r\n[Let's Fix This OK](https://letsfixthisok.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters Oklahoma](http://www.lwvok.org/)", 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '- Because of the substantial Native American population, Oklahoma has special challenges in making certain that they are represented.\r\n\r\n- Oklahoma has a ballot initiative process. An initiative was filed with the Secretary of State that would create an independent redistricting commission. However, this first initiative was struck by a court because its "gist," or short explanation, did not properly notify what the initiative was about. Since that ruling, People Not Politicians has refiled its initiative, now [State Question 810](https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/810.pdf), to correct this.\r\n\r\n- The entire Oklahoma House and half of the Oklahoma Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 7, 19, 20, 36, 344844, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/OK', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Oklahoma', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Oklahoma's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oklahoma law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OK</guid><actions>Support State Question 810 to establish an independent redistricting commission in Oklahoma.

- After being cleared for circulation, supporters will have 90 days to collect 177,958 signatures for the initiative to be on the 2020 ballot.

- Attend a [town hall event](https://www.mobilize.us/peoplenotpoliticians/) about the initiative.

In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts.

- Obtain Oklahoma redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/ok/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support State Question 810 to establish an independent redistricting commission in Oklahoma.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After being cleared for circulation, supporters will have 90 days to collect 177,958 signatures for the initiative to be on the 2020 ballot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Attend a &lt;a href="https://www.mobilize.us/peoplenotpoliticians/"&gt;town hall event&lt;/a&gt; about the initiative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Oklahoma redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ok/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Oklahoma's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oklahoma law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Oklahoma's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the governor's veto. The legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oklahoma law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- Because of the substantial Native American population, Oklahoma has special challenges in making certain that they are represented.

- Oklahoma has a ballot initiative process. An initiative was filed with the Secretary of State that would create an independent redistricting commission. However, this first initiative was struck by a court because its "gist," or short explanation, did not properly notify what the initiative was about. Since that ruling, People Not Politicians has refiled its initiative, now [State Question 810](https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/810.pdf), to correct this.

- The entire Oklahoma House and half of the Oklahoma Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because of the substantial Native American population, Oklahoma has special challenges in making certain that they are represented.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Oklahoma has a ballot initiative process. An initiative was filed with the Secretary of State that would create an independent redistricting commission. However, this first initiative was struck by a court because its "gist," or short explanation, did not properly notify what the initiative was about. Since that ruling, People Not Politicians has refiled its initiative, now &lt;a href="https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/810.pdf"&gt;State Question 810&lt;/a&gt;, to correct this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire Oklahoma House and half of the Oklahoma Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- Because of the substantial Native American population, Oklahoma has special challenges in making certain that they are represented.

- Oklahoma has a ballot initiative process. An initiative was filed with the Secretary of State that would create an independent redistricting commission. However, this first initiative was struck by a court because its "gist," or short explanation, did not properly notify what the initiative was about. Since that ruling, People Not Politicians has refiled its initiative, now [State Question 810](https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/questions/810.pdf), to correct this.

- The entire Oklahoma House and half of the Oklahoma Senate will be up for re-election in 2020.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.peoplenotpoliticians.org/"&gt;People Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://letsfixthisok.org/"&gt;Let's Fix This OK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvok.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Oklahoma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 07 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Oregon</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OR</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support the ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The initiative recently completed the initial signature gathering and public comment requirements.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;To get on the ballot in November, the initiative must receive 149,360 valid signatures by July 2, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Oregon redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/or/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.peoplenotpoliticiansoregon.com/"&gt;People Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvor.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Oregon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/oregon/our-work/gerrymandering-and-representation/gerrymandering-and-redistricting/"&gt;Common Cause Oregon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Oregon has a ballot initiative process, and a ballot initiative was filed in November 2019 to create an independent citizen commission. There are three versions: one that handles both state legislative and congressional districting, one for only state legislative, and one for only congressional. The initiative is being pushed by a coalition led by People Not Politicians.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Oregon House and half of the Oregon Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Oregon is estimated to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps and no process reforms have been adopted, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Oregon's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oregon law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'OR', 'actions': "Support the ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.\r\n\r\n- The initiative recently completed the initial signature gathering and public comment requirements.\r\n\r\n- To get on the ballot in November, the initiative must receive 149,360 valid signatures by July 2, 2020.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Oregon redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/or/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[People Not Politicians](https://www.peoplenotpoliticiansoregon.com/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Oregon](http://lwvor.org/)\r\n\r\n[Common Cause Oregon](https://www.commoncause.org/oregon/our-work/gerrymandering-and-representation/gerrymandering-and-redistricting/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Oregon has a ballot initiative process, and a ballot initiative was filed in November 2019 to create an independent citizen commission. There are three versions: one that handles both state legislative and congressional districting, one for only state legislative, and one for only congressional. The initiative is being pushed by a coalition led by People Not Politicians.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, the entire Oregon House and half of the Oregon Senate will be up for re-election.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Oregon is estimated to gain one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 39, 38, 453718, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/legislature/2018/OR', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Oregon', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Democrats. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps and no process reforms have been adopted, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Oregon's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oregon law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/OR</guid><actions>Support the ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.

- The initiative recently completed the initial signature gathering and public comment requirements.

- To get on the ballot in November, the initiative must receive 149,360 valid signatures by July 2, 2020.

In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities.

- Obtain Oregon redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/or/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support the ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The initiative recently completed the initial signature gathering and public comment requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To get on the ballot in November, the initiative must receive 149,360 valid signatures by July 2, 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Oregon redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/or/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Oregon's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oregon law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Oregon's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Oregon law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Oregon has a ballot initiative process, and a ballot initiative was filed in November 2019 to create an independent citizen commission. There are three versions: one that handles both state legislative and congressional districting, one for only state legislative, and one for only congressional. The initiative is being pushed by a coalition led by People Not Politicians.

In 2020, the entire Oregon House and half of the Oregon Senate will be up for re-election.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Oregon is estimated to gain one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Oregon has a ballot initiative process, and a ballot initiative was filed in November 2019 to create an independent citizen commission. There are three versions: one that handles both state legislative and congressional districting, one for only state legislative, and one for only congressional. The initiative is being pushed by a coalition led by People Not Politicians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Oregon House and half of the Oregon Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Oregon is estimated to gain one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Oregon has a ballot initiative process, and a ballot initiative was filed in November 2019 to create an independent citizen commission. There are three versions: one that handles both state legislative and congressional districting, one for only state legislative, and one for only congressional. The initiative is being pushed by a coalition led by People Not Politicians.

In 2020, the entire Oregon House and half of the Oregon Senate will be up for re-election.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Oregon is estimated to gain one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.peoplenotpoliticiansoregon.com/"&gt;People Not Politicians&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvor.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Oregon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.commoncause.org/oregon/our-work/gerrymandering-and-representation/gerrymandering-and-redistricting/"&gt;Common Cause Oregon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Pennsylvania</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/PA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If the current majority (Republican) passes into the minority, point out that such a commission will protect their interests.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Pennsylvania redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/pa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/"&gt;Fair Districts PA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://drawthelinespa.org/"&gt;Draw the Lines PA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mohpa.org/"&gt;March on Harrisburg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.palwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, based on the "free and fair elections" clause of its state constitution. This undid one of the most extreme gerrymanders in the nation.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2019, the Redistricting Reform Commission &lt;a href="https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Documents/2019-PA-Redistricting-Reform-Commission-Report/PA%20Redistricting%20Reform%20Commission%20Report.pdf"&gt;released a report&lt;/a&gt; that outlines its recommendations for reform. Its recommendations were based on nine public hearings, online public input, a public survey, and other state models.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Pennsylvania House and half the Pennsylvania Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, both Congressional and legislative line-drawing will be under the control of both major parties.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Pennsylvania is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania\'s congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania\'s state legislative lines are drawn by a commission of politicians. The four legislative leaders each select one commission member. These four then choose a fifth, who acts as the commission\'s chair. If no fifth member is selected within 45 days, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chooses. Only the chair of the commission must be a citizen. An initial plan must be drafted by the commission either 90 days after the receipt of census data or after commission formation, whichever is later. An initial plan is finalized 30 days after the last public exception is filed against it.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Pennsylvania law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania has two public input requirements. First, any final plan must be published in at least one newspaper per state legislative district. This publication must include the whole map, a map of the area that the newspaper serves, and the population and variation of all districts in the plan. Second, within 30 days of a proposed plan of final plan, any "aggrieved person" may file a challenge in the state\'s Supreme Court. Outside of these requirements, Pennsylvania does not mandate public hearings, but in 2011, such hearings were held between September 7 and November 23. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'PA', 'actions': "Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. \r\n\r\n- If the current majority (Republican) passes into the minority, point out that such a commission will protect their interests.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Pennsylvania redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/pa/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': 6, 'contacts': '[Fair Districts PA](https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/)\r\n\r\n[Draw the Lines PA](https://drawthelinespa.org/)\r\n\r\n[March on Harrisburg](https://www.mohpa.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania](https://www.palwv.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Politician Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': '- In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, based on the "free and fair elections" clause of its state constitution. This undid one of the most extreme gerrymanders in the nation.\r\n\r\n- In 2019, the Redistricting Reform Commission [released a report](https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Documents/2019-PA-Redistricting-Reform-Commission-Report/PA%20Redistricting%20Reform%20Commission%20Report.pdf) that outlines its recommendations for reform. Its recommendations were based on nine public hearings, online public input, a public survey, and other state models.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, the entire Pennsylvania House and half the Pennsylvania Senate will be up for re-election.\r\n\r\n- In 2021, both Congressional and legislative line-drawing will be under the control of both major parties.\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Pennsylvania is estimated to lose one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 12, 16, 33, 4, 161726, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/PA', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Pennsylvania', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': 'Pennsylvania\'s congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nPennsylvania\'s state legislative lines are drawn by a commission of politicians. The four legislative leaders each select one commission member. These four then choose a fifth, who acts as the commission\'s chair. If no fifth member is selected within 45 days, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chooses. Only the chair of the commission must be a citizen. An initial plan must be drafted by the commission either 90 days after the receipt of census data or after commission formation, whichever is later. An initial plan is finalized 30 days after the last public exception is filed against it.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Pennsylvania law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.\r\n\r\nPennsylvania has two public input requirements. First, any final plan must be published in at least one newspaper per state legislative district. This publication must include the whole map, a map of the area that the newspaper serves, and the population and variation of all districts in the plan. Second, within 30 days of a proposed plan of final plan, any "aggrieved person" may file a challenge in the state\'s Supreme Court. Outside of these requirements, Pennsylvania does not mandate public hearings, but in 2011, such hearings were held between September 7 and November 23. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely.', 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/PA</guid><actions>Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. 

- If the current majority (Republican) passes into the minority, point out that such a commission will protect their interests.

- In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Pennsylvania redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/pa/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent redistricting commission. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If the current majority (Republican) passes into the minority, point out that such a commission will protect their interests.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public comment to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Pennsylvania redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/pa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Pennsylvania's congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

Pennsylvania's state legislative lines are drawn by a commission of politicians. The four legislative leaders each select one commission member. These four then choose a fifth, who acts as the commission's chair. If no fifth member is selected within 45 days, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chooses. Only the chair of the commission must be a citizen. An initial plan must be drafted by the commission either 90 days after the receipt of census data or after commission formation, whichever is later. An initial plan is finalized 30 days after the last public exception is filed against it.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Pennsylvania law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.

Pennsylvania has two public input requirements. First, any final plan must be published in at least one newspaper per state legislative district. This publication must include the whole map, a map of the area that the newspaper serves, and the population and variation of all districts in the plan. Second, within 30 days of a proposed plan of final plan, any "aggrieved person" may file a challenge in the state's Supreme Court. Outside of these requirements, Pennsylvania does not mandate public hearings, but in 2011, such hearings were held between September 7 and November 23. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania's congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania's state legislative lines are drawn by a commission of politicians. The four legislative leaders each select one commission member. These four then choose a fifth, who acts as the commission's chair. If no fifth member is selected within 45 days, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chooses. Only the chair of the commission must be a citizen. An initial plan must be drafted by the commission either 90 days after the receipt of census data or after commission formation, whichever is later. An initial plan is finalized 30 days after the last public exception is filed against it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Pennsylvania law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Pennsylvania has two public input requirements. First, any final plan must be published in at least one newspaper per state legislative district. This publication must include the whole map, a map of the area that the newspaper serves, and the population and variation of all districts in the plan. Second, within 30 days of a proposed plan of final plan, any "aggrieved person" may file a challenge in the state's Supreme Court. Outside of these requirements, Pennsylvania does not mandate public hearings, but in 2011, such hearings were held between September 7 and November 23. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, based on the "free and fair elections" clause of its state constitution. This undid one of the most extreme gerrymanders in the nation.

- In 2019, the Redistricting Reform Commission [released a report](https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Documents/2019-PA-Redistricting-Reform-Commission-Report/PA%20Redistricting%20Reform%20Commission%20Report.pdf) that outlines its recommendations for reform. Its recommendations were based on nine public hearings, online public input, a public survey, and other state models.

- In 2020, the entire Pennsylvania House and half the Pennsylvania Senate will be up for re-election.

- In 2021, both Congressional and legislative line-drawing will be under the control of both major parties.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Pennsylvania is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, based on the "free and fair elections" clause of its state constitution. This undid one of the most extreme gerrymanders in the nation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2019, the Redistricting Reform Commission &lt;a href="https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Documents/2019-PA-Redistricting-Reform-Commission-Report/PA%20Redistricting%20Reform%20Commission%20Report.pdf"&gt;released a report&lt;/a&gt; that outlines its recommendations for reform. Its recommendations were based on nine public hearings, online public input, a public survey, and other state models.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Pennsylvania House and half the Pennsylvania Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, both Congressional and legislative line-drawing will be under the control of both major parties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Pennsylvania is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the congressional map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, based on the "free and fair elections" clause of its state constitution. This undid one of the most extreme gerrymanders in the nation.

- In 2019, the Redistricting Reform Commission [released a report](https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/Documents/2019-PA-Redistricting-Reform-Commission-Report/PA%20Redistricting%20Reform%20Commission%20Report.pdf) that outlines its recommendations for reform. Its recommendations were based on nine public hearings, online public input, a public survey, and other state models.

- In 2020, the entire Pennsylvania House and half the Pennsylvania Senate will be up for re-election.

- In 2021, both Congressional and legislative line-drawing will be under the control of both major parties.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Pennsylvania is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/"&gt;Fair Districts PA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://drawthelinespa.org/"&gt;Draw the Lines PA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mohpa.org/"&gt;March on Harrisburg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.palwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by politician commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 12 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Rhode Island</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/RI</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms like H7260/S2077.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will protect the current system while pushing for further reform.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Rhode Island redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ri/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://redrawri.org/"&gt;Redraw Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvri.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.riaclu.org/"&gt;ACLU of Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire Rhode Island Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://upriseri.com/2020-02-06-common-cause/"&gt;new pair of bills&lt;/a&gt; was recently introduced in the Rhode Island legislature. These bills (&lt;a href="http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7260.pdf"&gt;H7260&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/SenateText20/S2077.pdf"&gt;S2077&lt;/a&gt;) seek to amend the state\'s constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens\' redistricting commission. The bills also include redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Under the Rhode Island Constitution, these bills need a simple majority in the current session to pass. After that, they will be on the ballot in November. If a majority of voters approve, Rhode Island will have an independent redistricting commission in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Rhode Island is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Rhode Island's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Rhode Island established an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which it can accept, modify, or reject entirely.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Rhode Island law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'RI', 'actions': 'Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms like H7260/S2077.\r\n\r\n- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\nIn 2020, support legislative candidates who will protect the current system while pushing for further reform.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Rhode Island redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ri/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. \r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[Redraw Rhode Island](https://redrawri.org/)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters of Rhode Island](http://www.lwvri.org/)\r\n\r\n[ACLU of Rhode Island](http://www.riaclu.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "The success of this Commission will depend on public input.\r\n\r\nThe entire Rhode Island Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.\r\n\r\nA [new pair of bills](https://upriseri.com/2020-02-06-common-cause/) was recently introduced in the Rhode Island legislature. These bills ([H7260](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7260.pdf)/[S2077](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/SenateText20/S2077.pdf)) seek to amend the state's constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens' redistricting commission. The bills also include redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Under the Rhode Island Constitution, these bills need a simple majority in the current session to pass. After that, they will be on the ballot in November. If a majority of voters approve, Rhode Island will have an independent redistricting commission in 2021.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Rhode Island is estimated to lose one congressional seat.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 7, 19, 55, 20, 495695, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/RI', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Rhode Island', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Rhode Island's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn 2011, Rhode Island established an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which it can accept, modify, or reject entirely.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Rhode Island law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/RI</guid><actions>Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms like H7260/S2077.

- Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!

In 2020, support legislative candidates who will protect the current system while pushing for further reform.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Rhode Island redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ri/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. 

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms like H7260/S2077.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will protect the current system while pushing for further reform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Rhode Island redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ri/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Rhode Island's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.

In 2011, Rhode Island established an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which it can accept, modify, or reject entirely.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Rhode Island law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Rhode Island's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Rhode Island established an advisory commission that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which it can accept, modify, or reject entirely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Rhode Island law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The success of this Commission will depend on public input.

The entire Rhode Island Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.

A [new pair of bills](https://upriseri.com/2020-02-06-common-cause/) was recently introduced in the Rhode Island legislature. These bills ([H7260](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7260.pdf)/[S2077](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/SenateText20/S2077.pdf)) seek to amend the state's constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens' redistricting commission. The bills also include redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Under the Rhode Island Constitution, these bills need a simple majority in the current session to pass. After that, they will be on the ballot in November. If a majority of voters approve, Rhode Island will have an independent redistricting commission in 2021.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Rhode Island is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The success of this Commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire Rhode Island Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://upriseri.com/2020-02-06-common-cause/"&gt;new pair of bills&lt;/a&gt; was recently introduced in the Rhode Island legislature. These bills (&lt;a href="http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7260.pdf"&gt;H7260&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/SenateText20/S2077.pdf"&gt;S2077&lt;/a&gt;) seek to amend the state's constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens' redistricting commission. The bills also include redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Under the Rhode Island Constitution, these bills need a simple majority in the current session to pass. After that, they will be on the ballot in November. If a majority of voters approve, Rhode Island will have an independent redistricting commission in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Rhode Island is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The success of this Commission will depend on public input.

The entire Rhode Island Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.

A [new pair of bills](https://upriseri.com/2020-02-06-common-cause/) was recently introduced in the Rhode Island legislature. These bills ([H7260](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7260.pdf)/[S2077](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/SenateText20/S2077.pdf)) seek to amend the state's constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens' redistricting commission. The bills also include redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Under the Rhode Island Constitution, these bills need a simple majority in the current session to pass. After that, they will be on the ballot in November. If a majority of voters approve, Rhode Island will have an independent redistricting commission in 2021.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Rhode Island is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://redrawri.org/"&gt;Redraw Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.lwvri.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.riaclu.org/"&gt;ACLU of Rhode Island&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 07 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>South Carolina</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/SC</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain South Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvsc.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of South Carolina&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairmapssc.com/"&gt;Fair Maps SC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire South Carolina Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, South Carolina was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, South Carolina was required to receive pre-approval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all South Carolinians are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;South Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and avoid pairing incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'SC', 'actions': "In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain South Carolina redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/sc/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of South Carolina](http://lwvsc.org/)\r\n\r\n[Fair Maps SC](https://www.fairmapssc.com/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.\r\n\r\nThe entire South Carolina Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 20, 49, 23, 913075, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/SC', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'South Carolina', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, South Carolina was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, South Carolina was required to receive pre-approval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all South Carolinians are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "South Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and avoid pairing incumbents.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/SC</guid><actions>In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain South Carolina redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/sc/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain South Carolina redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sc/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>South Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and avoid pairing incumbents.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;South Carolina's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Carolina law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, preserve the cores of prior districts, and avoid pairing incumbents.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

The entire South Carolina Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire South Carolina Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. But when blacks are packed to be 50% or more of the voting-eligible population of a district, they may miss opportunities in neighboring districts. Fair districting therefore requires careful attention to how the lines are drawn.

The entire South Carolina Legislature will be up for re-election in 2020.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://lwvsc.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of South Carolina&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairmapssc.com/"&gt;Fair Maps SC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>South Dakota</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/SD</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain South Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/south-dakota"&gt;League of Women Voters of South Dakota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;South Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising issues of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;South Dakota has a ballot initiative process. A recent ballot initiative attempt will not appear on the ballot for failure to file the petition on time.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire South Dakota Legislature will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;South Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. South Dakota has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'SD', 'actions': 'Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain South Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of South Dakota](https://my.lwv.org/south-dakota)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '- South Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising issues of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.\r\n\r\n- South Dakota has a ballot initiative process. A recent ballot initiative attempt will not appear on the ballot for failure to file the petition on time.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, the entire South Dakota Legislature will be up for re-election.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 7, 20, 38, 8, 887815, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'South Dakota', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "South Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. South Dakota has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/SD</guid><actions>Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.

In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts.

- Obtain South Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Support a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push Legislature towards drawing fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain South Dakota redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/sd/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>South Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. South Dakota has only one at-large congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;South Dakota's state legislative lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. South Dakota has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, South Dakota law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- South Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising issues of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

- South Dakota has a ballot initiative process. A recent ballot initiative attempt will not appear on the ballot for failure to file the petition on time.

- In 2020, the entire South Dakota Legislature will be up for re-election.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;South Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising issues of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;South Dakota has a ballot initiative process. A recent ballot initiative attempt will not appear on the ballot for failure to file the petition on time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire South Dakota Legislature will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- South Dakota has a significant Native American population, raising issues of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.

- South Dakota has a ballot initiative process. A recent ballot initiative attempt will not appear on the ballot for failure to file the petition on time.

- In 2020, the entire South Dakota Legislature will be up for re-election.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/south-dakota"&gt;League of Women Voters of South Dakota&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Nov 07 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Tennessee</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/TN</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Tennessee redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment. &lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvtn.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Tennessee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thinktennessee.org/state-of-our-state-policy-brief-redistricting/"&gt;Think Tennessee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Tennessee has significant minority populations who are at risk of being underrepresented following redistricting in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Tennessee House and half of the Tennessee Senate will be up for re-election&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Tennessee's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'TN', 'actions': 'In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Tennessee redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment. \r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Tennessee](https://www.lwvtn.org/)\r\n\r\n[Think Tennessee](https://thinktennessee.org/state-of-our-state-policy-brief-redistricting/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'Tennessee has significant minority populations who are at risk of being underrepresented following redistricting in 2021.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, the entire Tennessee House and half of the Tennessee Senate will be up for re-election', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 21, 3, 57, 214145, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/TN', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Tennessee', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'Both chambers of the legislature and the governorship are controlled by Republicans. If the party maintains those majorities when it is time to draw new maps, there will be an increased risk of partisan gerrymandering.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Tennessee's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/TN</guid><actions>In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Tennessee redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment. 

If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Tennessee redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tn/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Legislature as public comment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Tennessee's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Tennessee's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Tennessee has significant minority populations who are at risk of being underrepresented following redistricting in 2021.

In 2020, the entire Tennessee House and half of the Tennessee Senate will be up for re-election</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Tennessee has significant minority populations who are at risk of being underrepresented following redistricting in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Tennessee House and half of the Tennessee Senate will be up for re-election&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Tennessee has significant minority populations who are at risk of being underrepresented following redistricting in 2021.

In 2020, the entire Tennessee House and half of the Tennessee Senate will be up for re-election</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvtn.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Tennessee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://thinktennessee.org/state-of-our-state-policy-brief-redistricting/"&gt;Think Tennessee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>Texas</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/TX</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the regional public hearings happening between now and the end of 2020. Dates and locations have been provided through &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit"&gt;LWV-TX&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, Texas will hold both legislative and state Supreme Court elections.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Support state legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Elect state supreme court justices who are receptive to legal arguments in favor of voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Texas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tx/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/texas"&gt;League of Women Voters of Texas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://organizetexas.org/"&gt;Texas Organizing Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.texasstatelulac.com/"&gt;Texas State LULAC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. In Texas, this is problematic: despite picking up five more House representatives in the last two decades thanks to increases in the Hispanic population, no additional Hispanic Congresspersons have been elected. The reason? Racial gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The effort to use administrative data to estimate citizenship status for the Census would open the possibility of drawing districts of equal citizen population rather than equal total population. This would allow Hispanics to be packed into even fewer districts. Racial gerrymandering is also a significant risk in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Texas House and half of the Texas Senate will be up for re-election. The state House is nine seats from flipping Democratic, which would dismantle the current Republican trifecta and potentially give Democrats a seat at the redistricting table.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Texas is estimated to gain three congressional seats.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Texas was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Texas was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Texans are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Texas\'s state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. In the last cycle, the redistricting committees began regional public hearings throughout summer and fall of 2010. They then began legislative hearings on line-drawing in February 2011. A similar regional schedule is underway this year, and a similar start date is likely in the legislative process in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;If the state legislature fails to draw new legislative districts in the first session following the Census, the Legislative Redistricting Board of Texas acts as a fallback mechanism. This Board would consist of five members: the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The Board must assemble in Austin within 90 days of the end of the legislative session and must approve a district plan within 60 days of assembling. A simple majority vote of three out of five is enough for the Board to approve a new district plan.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Texas law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Texas has no public input requirement for redistricting. However, it has a history of taking public input in the lead-up to line-drawing. &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit"&gt;Regional public hearings&lt;/a&gt; are occurring until the end of 2020 with later hearings likely but unscheduled. In the last cycle, regional hearings took place in the summer and fall of 2010 with more focused hearings beginning in February 2011.&lt;/p&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'TX', 'actions': "Participate in the regional public hearings happening between now and the end of 2020. Dates and locations have been provided through [LWV-TX](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit).\r\n\r\nIn 2020, Texas will hold both legislative and state Supreme Court elections.\r\n\r\n- Support state legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.\r\n\r\n- Elect state supreme court justices who are receptive to legal arguments in favor of voting rights.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Texas redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/tx/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\nIf racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Texas](https://my.lwv.org/texas)\r\n\r\n[Texas Organizing Project](https://organizetexas.org/)\r\n\r\n[Texas State LULAC](http://www.texasstatelulac.com/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': '- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. In Texas, this is problematic: despite picking up five more House representatives in the last two decades thanks to increases in the Hispanic population, no additional Hispanic Congresspersons have been elected. The reason? Racial gerrymandering.\r\n\r\n- The effort to use administrative data to estimate citizenship status for the Census would open the possibility of drawing districts of equal citizen population rather than equal total population. This would allow Hispanics to be packed into even fewer districts. Racial gerrymandering is also a significant risk in 2021.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, the entire Texas House and half of the Texas Senate will be up for re-election. The state House is nine seats from flipping Democratic, which would dismantle the current Republican trifecta and potentially give Democrats a seat at the redistricting table.\r\n\r\n- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Texas is estimated to gain three congressional seats.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 12, 16, 36, 57, 123314, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/TX', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Texas', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Texas was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Texas was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Texans are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Texas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. In the last cycle, the redistricting committees began regional public hearings throughout summer and fall of 2010. They then began legislative hearings on line-drawing in February 2011. A similar regional schedule is underway this year, and a similar start date is likely in the legislative process in 2021.\r\n\r\nIf the state legislature fails to draw new legislative districts in the first session following the Census, the Legislative Redistricting Board of Texas acts as a fallback mechanism. This Board would consist of five members: the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The Board must assemble in Austin within 90 days of the end of the legislative session and must approve a district plan within 60 days of assembling. A simple majority vote of three out of five is enough for the Board to approve a new district plan.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Texas law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.\r\n\r\nTexas has no public input requirement for redistricting. However, it has a history of taking public input in the lead-up to line-drawing. [Regional public hearings](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit) are occurring until the end of 2020 with later hearings likely but unscheduled. In the last cycle, regional hearings took place in the summer and fall of 2010 with more focused hearings beginning in February 2011.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/TX</guid><actions>Participate in the regional public hearings happening between now and the end of 2020. Dates and locations have been provided through [LWV-TX](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit).

In 2020, Texas will hold both legislative and state Supreme Court elections.

- Support state legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.

- Elect state supreme court justices who are receptive to legal arguments in favor of voting rights.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.

- Obtain Texas redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/tx/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the regional public hearings happening between now and the end of 2020. Dates and locations have been provided through &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit"&gt;LWV-TX&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, Texas will hold both legislative and state Supreme Court elections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support state legislative candidates who will advocate for fair districting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Elect state supreme court justices who are receptive to legal arguments in favor of voting rights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the legislature to draw fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Texas redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/tx/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If racial or partisan offenses are committed by the Legislature, federal and state lawsuits.&lt;/p&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Texas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. In the last cycle, the redistricting committees began regional public hearings throughout summer and fall of 2010. They then began legislative hearings on line-drawing in February 2011. A similar regional schedule is underway this year, and a similar start date is likely in the legislative process in 2021.

If the state legislature fails to draw new legislative districts in the first session following the Census, the Legislative Redistricting Board of Texas acts as a fallback mechanism. This Board would consist of five members: the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The Board must assemble in Austin within 90 days of the end of the legislative session and must approve a district plan within 60 days of assembling. A simple majority vote of three out of five is enough for the Board to approve a new district plan.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Texas law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.

Texas has no public input requirement for redistricting. However, it has a history of taking public input in the lead-up to line-drawing. [Regional public hearings](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit) are occurring until the end of 2020 with later hearings likely but unscheduled. In the last cycle, regional hearings took place in the summer and fall of 2010 with more focused hearings beginning in February 2011.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Texas's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. In the last cycle, the redistricting committees began regional public hearings throughout summer and fall of 2010. They then began legislative hearings on line-drawing in February 2011. A similar regional schedule is underway this year, and a similar start date is likely in the legislative process in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If the state legislature fails to draw new legislative districts in the first session following the Census, the Legislative Redistricting Board of Texas acts as a fallback mechanism. This Board would consist of five members: the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The Board must assemble in Austin within 90 days of the end of the legislative session and must approve a district plan within 60 days of assembling. A simple majority vote of three out of five is enough for the Board to approve a new district plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Texas law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no state law requirements for drawing congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Texas has no public input requirement for redistricting. However, it has a history of taking public input in the lead-up to line-drawing. &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fEu01HNDg6lljAXoeF9bdeg2yc0vC068FwJv3kcqHSY/edit"&gt;Regional public hearings&lt;/a&gt; are occurring until the end of 2020 with later hearings likely but unscheduled. In the last cycle, regional hearings took place in the summer and fall of 2010 with more focused hearings beginning in February 2011.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. In Texas, this is problematic: despite picking up five more House representatives in the last two decades thanks to increases in the Hispanic population, no additional Hispanic Congresspersons have been elected. The reason? Racial gerrymandering.

- The effort to use administrative data to estimate citizenship status for the Census would open the possibility of drawing districts of equal citizen population rather than equal total population. This would allow Hispanics to be packed into even fewer districts. Racial gerrymandering is also a significant risk in 2021.

- In 2020, the entire Texas House and half of the Texas Senate will be up for re-election. The state House is nine seats from flipping Democratic, which would dismantle the current Republican trifecta and potentially give Democrats a seat at the redistricting table.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Texas is estimated to gain three congressional seats.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. In Texas, this is problematic: despite picking up five more House representatives in the last two decades thanks to increases in the Hispanic population, no additional Hispanic Congresspersons have been elected. The reason? Racial gerrymandering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The effort to use administrative data to estimate citizenship status for the Census would open the possibility of drawing districts of equal citizen population rather than equal total population. This would allow Hispanics to be packed into even fewer districts. Racial gerrymandering is also a significant risk in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Texas House and half of the Texas Senate will be up for re-election. The state House is nine seats from flipping Democratic, which would dismantle the current Republican trifecta and potentially give Democrats a seat at the redistricting table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Texas is estimated to gain three congressional seats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- The Voting Rights Act and the Constitution currently guarantee that minority populations should have fair opportunities to elect representatives. In Texas, this is problematic: despite picking up five more House representatives in the last two decades thanks to increases in the Hispanic population, no additional Hispanic Congresspersons have been elected. The reason? Racial gerrymandering.

- The effort to use administrative data to estimate citizenship status for the Census would open the possibility of drawing districts of equal citizen population rather than equal total population. This would allow Hispanics to be packed into even fewer districts. Racial gerrymandering is also a significant risk in 2021.

- In 2020, the entire Texas House and half of the Texas Senate will be up for re-election. The state House is nine seats from flipping Democratic, which would dismantle the current Republican trifecta and potentially give Democrats a seat at the redistricting table.

- Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, Texas is estimated to gain three congressional seats.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/texas"&gt;League of Women Voters of Texas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://organizetexas.org/"&gt;Texas Organizing Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.texasstatelulac.com/"&gt;Texas State LULAC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 12 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Utah</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/UT</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Stop legislators from reversing recent redistricting reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the 2018 initiative.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, the success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Utah redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ut/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvutah.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Utah&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://betterboundaries.org/"&gt;Better Boundaries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://betterutah.org/"&gt;Alliance for a Better Utah&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2019, the state Legislature attempted to repeal the new independent commission law adopted by voters in 2018. While it failed to do so, Utahns should be be prepared to defend the independent commission law once again when the Legislature reconvenes in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Utah House and half of the Utah Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Utah's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a seven-member independent advisory redistricting commission. One member will be appointed by the governor, one by each of the four legislative leaders, one chosen jointly by the leadership of the majority Senate party, and one chosen jointly by the leadership of the minority Senate party. These seven members must approve between one and three plans by at least five votes. 120 days after census data has been received, these maps must be submitted to the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. If the Chief Justice determines that the maps meet constitutional requirements, they shall submit those plans to the state legislature. Once approved by the Chief Justice, the Commission will submit its plans as proposals to the state legislature, which can either approve, amend, or reject them. A plan must be finalized within 30 days of the last public hearing on that plan. If a commission plan is rejected, the commission must review the legislature's plan and produce a report about that rejection. This report must also describe whether the legislature's plan adheres to Utah's requirements.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Utah law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The new commission also brings with it new public input requirements. In 2021, the commission must hold at least seven public hearings, one per region: Bear River, Southwest, Mountain, Central, Southeast, Uintah Basin, and Wasatch Front. The Commission must also hold at least two public hearings in a first or second class county, but these cannot occur in the same county. In addition to these public hearings, the Commission must create a website to disseminate information (including proposed plans), to allow live-stream and archived meetings, and to allow public comment and map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'UT', 'actions': 'Stop legislators from reversing recent redistricting reforms.\r\n\r\n- Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the 2018 initiative.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\nIn 2021, the success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Utah redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ut/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of Utah](https://www.lwvutah.org/)\r\n\r\n[Better Boundaries](https://betterboundaries.org/)\r\n\r\n[Alliance for a Better Utah](https://betterutah.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'draws_state_lines': 'Hybrid commission system', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'In 2019, the state Legislature attempted to repeal the new independent commission law adopted by voters in 2018. While it failed to do so, Utahns should be be prepared to defend the independent commission law once again when the Legislature reconvenes in 2020.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, the entire Utah House and half of the Utah Senate will be up for re-election.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 12, 16, 54, 16, 502445, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/UT', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Utah', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Beginning in 2021, Utah's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a seven-member independent advisory redistricting commission. One member will be appointed by the governor, one by each of the four legislative leaders, one chosen jointly by the leadership of the majority Senate party, and one chosen jointly by the leadership of the minority Senate party. These seven members must approve between one and three plans by at least five votes. 120 days after census data has been received, these maps must be submitted to the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. If the Chief Justice determines that the maps meet constitutional requirements, they shall submit those plans to the state legislature. Once approved by the Chief Justice, the Commission will submit its plans as proposals to the state legislature, which can either approve, amend, or reject them. A plan must be finalized within 30 days of the last public hearing on that plan. If a commission plan is rejected, the commission must review the legislature's plan and produce a report about that rejection. This report must also describe whether the legislature's plan adheres to Utah's requirements.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Utah law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.\r\n\r\nThe new commission also brings with it new public input requirements. In 2021, the commission must hold at least seven public hearings, one per region: Bear River, Southwest, Mountain, Central, Southeast, Uintah Basin, and Wasatch Front. The Commission must also hold at least two public hearings in a first or second class county, but these cannot occur in the same county. In addition to these public hearings, the Commission must create a website to disseminate information (including proposed plans), to allow live-stream and archived meetings, and to allow public comment and map submissions.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/UT</guid><actions>Stop legislators from reversing recent redistricting reforms.

- Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the 2018 initiative.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!

In 2021, the success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.

- Obtain Utah redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ut/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Stop legislators from reversing recent redistricting reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the 2018 initiative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the independent commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, the success of this commission will depend on public input. Stand up for your community of interest at public hearings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Utah redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/ut/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Beginning in 2021, Utah's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a seven-member independent advisory redistricting commission. One member will be appointed by the governor, one by each of the four legislative leaders, one chosen jointly by the leadership of the majority Senate party, and one chosen jointly by the leadership of the minority Senate party. These seven members must approve between one and three plans by at least five votes. 120 days after census data has been received, these maps must be submitted to the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. If the Chief Justice determines that the maps meet constitutional requirements, they shall submit those plans to the state legislature. Once approved by the Chief Justice, the Commission will submit its plans as proposals to the state legislature, which can either approve, amend, or reject them. A plan must be finalized within 30 days of the last public hearing on that plan. If a commission plan is rejected, the commission must review the legislature's plan and produce a report about that rejection. This report must also describe whether the legislature's plan adheres to Utah's requirements.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Utah law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.

The new commission also brings with it new public input requirements. In 2021, the commission must hold at least seven public hearings, one per region: Bear River, Southwest, Mountain, Central, Southeast, Uintah Basin, and Wasatch Front. The Commission must also hold at least two public hearings in a first or second class county, but these cannot occur in the same county. In addition to these public hearings, the Commission must create a website to disseminate information (including proposed plans), to allow live-stream and archived meetings, and to allow public comment and map submissions.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, Utah's state legislative and congressional districts will be drawn by a seven-member independent advisory redistricting commission. One member will be appointed by the governor, one by each of the four legislative leaders, one chosen jointly by the leadership of the majority Senate party, and one chosen jointly by the leadership of the minority Senate party. These seven members must approve between one and three plans by at least five votes. 120 days after census data has been received, these maps must be submitted to the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. If the Chief Justice determines that the maps meet constitutional requirements, they shall submit those plans to the state legislature. Once approved by the Chief Justice, the Commission will submit its plans as proposals to the state legislature, which can either approve, amend, or reject them. A plan must be finalized within 30 days of the last public hearing on that plan. If a commission plan is rejected, the commission must review the legislature's plan and produce a report about that rejection. This report must also describe whether the legislature's plan adheres to Utah's requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Utah law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring an incumbent, party, or candidate for office is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new commission also brings with it new public input requirements. In 2021, the commission must hold at least seven public hearings, one per region: Bear River, Southwest, Mountain, Central, Southeast, Uintah Basin, and Wasatch Front. The Commission must also hold at least two public hearings in a first or second class county, but these cannot occur in the same county. In addition to these public hearings, the Commission must create a website to disseminate information (including proposed plans), to allow live-stream and archived meetings, and to allow public comment and map submissions.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>In 2019, the state Legislature attempted to repeal the new independent commission law adopted by voters in 2018. While it failed to do so, Utahns should be be prepared to defend the independent commission law once again when the Legislature reconvenes in 2020.

In 2020, the entire Utah House and half of the Utah Senate will be up for re-election.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2019, the state Legislature attempted to repeal the new independent commission law adopted by voters in 2018. While it failed to do so, Utahns should be be prepared to defend the independent commission law once again when the Legislature reconvenes in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Utah House and half of the Utah Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>In 2019, the state Legislature attempted to repeal the new independent commission law adopted by voters in 2018. While it failed to do so, Utahns should be be prepared to defend the independent commission law once again when the Legislature reconvenes in 2020.

In 2020, the entire Utah House and half of the Utah Senate will be up for re-election.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvutah.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Utah&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://betterboundaries.org/"&gt;Better Boundaries&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://betterutah.org/"&gt;Alliance for a Better Utah&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by hybrid commission system</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 12 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Vermont</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/VT</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the current system while pushing for improvements.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Commission and Legislature toward drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Vermont redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/vt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/vermont"&gt;League of Women Voters Vermont&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The entire Vermont Legislature is up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Vermont's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Vermont has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Vermont statutes call for an advisory commission to make recommendations to the Legislature, which the Legislature can accept, modify, or reject entirely.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Vermont law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'VT', 'actions': 'Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.\r\n\r\n- Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the current system while pushing for improvements.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Commission and Legislature toward drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Vermont redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/vt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters Vermont](https://my.lwv.org/vermont)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'The success of this commission will depend on public input.\r\n\r\nThe entire Vermont Legislature is up for re-election in 2020.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 17, 15, 47, 10, 698353, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Vermont', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Vermont's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Vermont has only one at-large congressional district.\r\n\r\nVermont statutes call for an advisory commission to make recommendations to the Legislature, which the Legislature can accept, modify, or reject entirely.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Vermont law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 2}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/VT</guid><actions>Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.

- Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the current system while pushing for improvements.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!

In 2021, use public input to push the Commission and Legislature toward drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Vermont redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/vt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Defend the advisory system while advocating for further reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support legislative candidates in 2020 that will protect the current system while pushing for improvements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Commission and Legislature toward drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Vermont redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/vt/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Vermont's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Vermont has only one at-large congressional district.

Vermont statutes call for an advisory commission to make recommendations to the Legislature, which the Legislature can accept, modify, or reject entirely.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Vermont law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Vermont's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Vermont has only one at-large congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Vermont statutes call for an advisory commission to make recommendations to the Legislature, which the Legislature can accept, modify, or reject entirely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Vermont law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>The success of this commission will depend on public input.

The entire Vermont Legislature is up for re-election in 2020.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;The success of this commission will depend on public input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire Vermont Legislature is up for re-election in 2020.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>The success of this commission will depend on public input.

The entire Vermont Legislature is up for re-election in 2020.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/vermont"&gt;League of Women Voters Vermont&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 17 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Virginia</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/VA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 General Assembly session, advocate for reform.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Contact your legislator to express support for the reform constitutional amendment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Join a fair-districting advocacy organization.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Read PGP\'s &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf"&gt;A Citizen\'s Guide to Redistricting Reform in Virginia&lt;/a&gt; on the amendment, enabling legislation, and proposed alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/va/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="onevirginia2021.org"&gt;One Virginia 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="newvirginiamajority.org"&gt;New Virginia Majority&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwv-va.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Virginia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://engageva.org/"&gt;Virginia Civic Engagement Table&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://virginia-organizing.org/"&gt;Virginia Organizing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The House of Delegates and state Senate are both under Democratic control, creating single-party control over redistricting in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission was passed by the General Assembly (both House and Senate) in the most recent legislative session. If it passes again in the 2020 legislative session, the question will go on the general election ballot in November 2020. &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf"&gt;PGP wrote a report&lt;/a&gt; about the amendment, proposed enabling legislation, and potential alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 session, no shortage of redistricting bills were introduced. Since the start of session, however, this list has dwindled to create two paths towards reform.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The first path is to pass the constitutional amendment (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sj18"&gt;SJ18&lt;/a&gt;) and proposed enabling legislation (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb758"&gt;HB758&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sb203"&gt;SB203&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The second path is to pass a statutory alternative commission (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb1256"&gt;HB1256&lt;/a&gt;) alongside a criteria bill (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb1255"&gt;HB1255&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sb717"&gt;SB717&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;All of these bills contain the same fairness criteria, including language mirroring the Voting Rights Act, protecting communities of interest, and prohibiting partisan advantage on the state-wide level. Additionally, they all have nearly identical commission structures, including conflict prevention,  commissioner diversity requirements, and public input requirements. The differences are that the first path\'s fallback is the state Supreme Court with two Special Masters, one chosen by a list provided by each party, while the second path relies on the General Assembly. The second path, on the other hand, has stronger diversity language and slightly improved public input requirements.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In recent redistricting cycles, Virginia was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Virginia was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Virginians are treated fairly.&lt;/p&gt;', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Virginia's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. These plans must be approved 92 days before their respective primary. Because Virginia has off-year elections, its redistricting timeline is highly accelerated for state legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Virginia has no public hearing requirement, but it has held redistricting hearings in the past. In the last cycle, public hearings were held about the state legislative maps between September 8 and November 27 in 2010. For the congressional maps, hearings were held in March 2011. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely given Virginia's accelerated redistricting schedule.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'VA', 'actions': 'In the 2020 General Assembly session, advocate for reform.\r\n\r\n- Contact your legislator to express support for the reform constitutional amendment.\r\n\r\n- Join a fair-districting advocacy organization.\r\n\r\n- Read PGP\'s [A Citizen\'s Guide to Redistricting Reform in Virginia](https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf) on the amendment, enabling legislation, and proposed alternatives.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/va/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[One Virginia 2021](onevirginia2021.org)\r\n\r\n[New Virginia Majority](newvirginiamajority.org)\r\n\r\n[League of Women Voters Virginia](https://lwv-va.org/)\r\n\r\n[Virginia Civic Engagement Table](https://engageva.org/)\r\n\r\n[Virginia Organizing](https://virginia-organizing.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': "- The House of Delegates and state Senate are both under Democratic control, creating single-party control over redistricting in 2021.\r\n\r\n- A constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission was passed by the General Assembly (both House and Senate) in the most recent legislative session. If it passes again in the 2020 legislative session, the question will go on the general election ballot in November 2020. [PGP wrote a report](https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf) about the amendment, proposed enabling legislation, and potential alternatives.\r\n\r\n- In the 2020 session, no shortage of redistricting bills were introduced. Since the start of session, however, this list has dwindled to create two paths towards reform.\r\n\r\n- The first path is to pass the constitutional amendment ([SJ18](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sj18)) and proposed enabling legislation ([HB758](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb758)/[SB203](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb203)).\r\n\r\n- The second path is to pass a statutory alternative commission ([HB1256](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1256)) alongside a criteria bill ([HB1255](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1255)/[SB717](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb717)).\r\n\r\n- All of these bills contain the same fairness criteria, including language mirroring the Voting Rights Act, protecting communities of interest, and prohibiting partisan advantage on the state-wide level. Additionally, they all have nearly identical commission structures, including conflict prevention,  commissioner diversity requirements, and public input requirements. The differences are that the first path's fallback is the state Supreme Court with two Special Masters, one chosen by a list provided by each party, while the second path relies on the General Assembly. The second path, on the other hand, has stronger diversity language and slightly improved public input requirements.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 25, 20, 17, 56, 760488, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/VA', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Virginia', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': 'In recent redistricting cycles, Virginia was subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because of a history of racial discrimination against minority groups. In accordance with Section 5, Virginia was required to receive preapproval from either the Department of Justice or a federal court for any change to its redistricting plans. This decade will be the first cycle without those protections. Observers should closely monitor every step of the redistricting process to ensure that all Virginians are treated fairly.', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Virginia's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. These plans must be approved 92 days before their respective primary. Because Virginia has off-year elections, its redistricting timeline is highly accelerated for state legislative districts.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest.\r\n\r\nVirginia has no public hearing requirement, but it has held redistricting hearings in the past. In the last cycle, public hearings were held about the state legislative maps between September 8 and November 27 in 2010. For the congressional maps, hearings were held in March 2011. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely given Virginia's accelerated redistricting schedule.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 3}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/VA</guid><actions>In the 2020 General Assembly session, advocate for reform.

- Contact your legislator to express support for the reform constitutional amendment.

- Join a fair-districting advocacy organization.

- Read PGP's [A Citizen's Guide to Redistricting Reform in Virginia](https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf) on the amendment, enabling legislation, and proposed alternatives.

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/va/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 General Assembly session, advocate for reform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact your legislator to express support for the reform constitutional amendment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Join a fair-districting advocacy organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Read PGP's &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf"&gt;A Citizen's Guide to Redistricting Reform in Virginia&lt;/a&gt; on the amendment, enabling legislation, and proposed alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/va/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Virginia's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. These plans must be approved 92 days before their respective primary. Because Virginia has off-year elections, its redistricting timeline is highly accelerated for state legislative districts.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest.

Virginia has no public hearing requirement, but it has held redistricting hearings in the past. In the last cycle, public hearings were held about the state legislative maps between September 8 and November 27 in 2010. For the congressional maps, hearings were held in March 2011. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely given Virginia's accelerated redistricting schedule.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Virginia's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. These plans must be approved 92 days before their respective primary. Because Virginia has off-year elections, its redistricting timeline is highly accelerated for state legislative districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Virginia has no public hearing requirement, but it has held redistricting hearings in the past. In the last cycle, public hearings were held about the state legislative maps between September 8 and November 27 in 2010. For the congressional maps, hearings were held in March 2011. Without a change in law, a similar timeline seems likely given Virginia's accelerated redistricting schedule.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- The House of Delegates and state Senate are both under Democratic control, creating single-party control over redistricting in 2021.

- A constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission was passed by the General Assembly (both House and Senate) in the most recent legislative session. If it passes again in the 2020 legislative session, the question will go on the general election ballot in November 2020. [PGP wrote a report](https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf) about the amendment, proposed enabling legislation, and potential alternatives.

- In the 2020 session, no shortage of redistricting bills were introduced. Since the start of session, however, this list has dwindled to create two paths towards reform.

- The first path is to pass the constitutional amendment ([SJ18](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sj18)) and proposed enabling legislation ([HB758](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb758)/[SB203](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb203)).

- The second path is to pass a statutory alternative commission ([HB1256](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1256)) alongside a criteria bill ([HB1255](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1255)/[SB717](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb717)).

- All of these bills contain the same fairness criteria, including language mirroring the Voting Rights Act, protecting communities of interest, and prohibiting partisan advantage on the state-wide level. Additionally, they all have nearly identical commission structures, including conflict prevention,  commissioner diversity requirements, and public input requirements. The differences are that the first path's fallback is the state Supreme Court with two Special Masters, one chosen by a list provided by each party, while the second path relies on the General Assembly. The second path, on the other hand, has stronger diversity language and slightly improved public input requirements.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The House of Delegates and state Senate are both under Democratic control, creating single-party control over redistricting in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission was passed by the General Assembly (both House and Senate) in the most recent legislative session. If it passes again in the 2020 legislative session, the question will go on the general election ballot in November 2020. &lt;a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf"&gt;PGP wrote a report&lt;/a&gt; about the amendment, proposed enabling legislation, and potential alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the 2020 session, no shortage of redistricting bills were introduced. Since the start of session, however, this list has dwindled to create two paths towards reform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The first path is to pass the constitutional amendment (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sj18"&gt;SJ18&lt;/a&gt;) and proposed enabling legislation (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb758"&gt;HB758&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sb203"&gt;SB203&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The second path is to pass a statutory alternative commission (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb1256"&gt;HB1256&lt;/a&gt;) alongside a criteria bill (&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=hb1255"&gt;HB1255&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;amp;typ=bil&amp;amp;val=sb717"&gt;SB717&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All of these bills contain the same fairness criteria, including language mirroring the Voting Rights Act, protecting communities of interest, and prohibiting partisan advantage on the state-wide level. Additionally, they all have nearly identical commission structures, including conflict prevention,  commissioner diversity requirements, and public input requirements. The differences are that the first path's fallback is the state Supreme Court with two Special Masters, one chosen by a list provided by each party, while the second path relies on the General Assembly. The second path, on the other hand, has stronger diversity language and slightly improved public input requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- The House of Delegates and state Senate are both under Democratic control, creating single-party control over redistricting in 2021.

- A constitutional amendment to establish a redistricting commission was passed by the General Assembly (both House and Senate) in the most recent legislative session. If it passes again in the 2020 legislative session, the question will go on the general election ballot in November 2020. [PGP wrote a report](https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/assets/docs/PGP_VA_Report_final.pdf) about the amendment, proposed enabling legislation, and potential alternatives.

- In the 2020 session, no shortage of redistricting bills were introduced. Since the start of session, however, this list has dwindled to create two paths towards reform.

- The first path is to pass the constitutional amendment ([SJ18](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sj18)) and proposed enabling legislation ([HB758](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb758)/[SB203](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb203)).

- The second path is to pass a statutory alternative commission ([HB1256](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1256)) alongside a criteria bill ([HB1255](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=hb1255)/[SB717](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&amp;typ=bil&amp;val=sb717)).

- All of these bills contain the same fairness criteria, including language mirroring the Voting Rights Act, protecting communities of interest, and prohibiting partisan advantage on the state-wide level. Additionally, they all have nearly identical commission structures, including conflict prevention,  commissioner diversity requirements, and public input requirements. The differences are that the first path's fallback is the state Supreme Court with two Special Masters, one chosen by a list provided by each party, while the second path relies on the General Assembly. The second path, on the other hand, has stronger diversity language and slightly improved public input requirements.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="onevirginia2021.org"&gt;One Virginia 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="newvirginiamajority.org"&gt;New Virginia Majority&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://lwv-va.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Virginia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://engageva.org/"&gt;Virginia Civic Engagement Table&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://virginia-organizing.org/"&gt;Virginia Organizing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 25 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Washington</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WA</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Participate in the commission\'s public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Washington redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvwa.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Washington&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairvote.org/fixing_gerrymandering_in_washington"&gt;FairVote Washington&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://fixdemocracyfirst.org/"&gt;Fix Democracy First&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Washington has a significant Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native American populations, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Washington's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Washington law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring a party or group is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'WA', 'actions': 'Participate in the commission\'s public comment process.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Washington redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.\r\n\r\n- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters Washington](https://www.lwvwa.org/)\r\n\r\n[FairVote Washington](https://www.fairvote.org/fixing_gerrymandering_in_washington)\r\n\r\n[Fix Democracy First](http://fixdemocracyfirst.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'draws_state_lines': 'Independent Redistricting Commission', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': 'Washington has a significant Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native American populations, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 21, 11, 11, 489215, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/WA', 'legislative_control': 'Democratic', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Washington', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Washington's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Washington law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring a party or group is prohibited.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 1}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WA</guid><actions>Participate in the commission's public comment process.

- Obtain Washington redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.

- Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Participate in the commission's public comment process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Washington redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wa/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Submit these maps to the Commission as a public comment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Washington's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Washington law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring a party or group is prohibited.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Washington's state legislative and congressional districts are drawn by an Independent Redistricting Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Washington law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, preserve communities of interest, and be drawn to promote competitiveness. Intentionally favoring or disfavoring a party or group is prohibited.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Washington has a significant Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native American populations, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Washington has a significant Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native American populations, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Washington has a significant Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native American populations, raising concerns of fair representation under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvwa.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters Washington&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fairvote.org/fixing_gerrymandering_in_washington"&gt;FairVote Washington&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://fixdemocracyfirst.org/"&gt;Fix Democracy First&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by independent redistricting commission</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Democratic</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item><item><title>West Virginia</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WV</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, elect legislative and gubernatorial candidates who support redistricting reform. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain West Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of West Virginia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://wvoter-owned.org/"&gt;West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, West Virginia will redistrict its state legislature entirely with single-member districts instead of a mix of single-member and multi-member districts. This will increase the number of legislative districts, which in turn increases the number of opportunities for partisan offenses to be committed.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire West Virginia House, half of the West Virginia Senate, and the Governor will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, West Virginia is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;West Virginia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, West Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'WV', 'actions': "In 2020, elect legislative and gubernatorial candidates who support redistricting reform. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain West Virginia redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/wv/).\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.", 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[League of Women Voters of West Virginia](https://www.lwvwv.org/)\r\n\r\n[West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections](https://wvoter-owned.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': 'Beginning in 2021, West Virginia will redistrict its state legislature entirely with single-member districts instead of a mix of single-member and multi-member districts. This will increase the number of legislative districts, which in turn increases the number of opportunities for partisan offenses to be committed.\r\n\r\nIn 2020, the entire West Virginia House, half of the West Virginia Senate, and the Governor will be up for re-election.\r\n\r\nBased upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, West Virginia is estimated to lose one congressional seat.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 19, 45, 26, 610733, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': '', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'West Virginia', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "West Virginia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, West Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WV</guid><actions>In 2020, elect legislative and gubernatorial candidates who support redistricting reform. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain West Virginia redistricting data from [OpenPrecincts](https://openprecincts.org/wv/).

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, elect legislative and gubernatorial candidates who support redistricting reform. A majority-reform coalition or split control of state power could check the worst gerrymandering impulses in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain West Virginia redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wv/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>West Virginia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, West Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;West Virginia's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a simple majority vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, West Virginia law requires that state legislative and congressional districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>Beginning in 2021, West Virginia will redistrict its state legislature entirely with single-member districts instead of a mix of single-member and multi-member districts. This will increase the number of legislative districts, which in turn increases the number of opportunities for partisan offenses to be committed.

In 2020, the entire West Virginia House, half of the West Virginia Senate, and the Governor will be up for re-election.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, West Virginia is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Beginning in 2021, West Virginia will redistrict its state legislature entirely with single-member districts instead of a mix of single-member and multi-member districts. This will increase the number of legislative districts, which in turn increases the number of opportunities for partisan offenses to be committed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire West Virginia House, half of the West Virginia Senate, and the Governor will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based upon a &lt;a href="https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3"&gt;recent estimate&lt;/a&gt; of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, West Virginia is estimated to lose one congressional seat.&lt;/p&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>Beginning in 2021, West Virginia will redistrict its state legislature entirely with single-member districts instead of a mix of single-member and multi-member districts. This will increase the number of legislative districts, which in turn increases the number of opportunities for partisan offenses to be committed.

In 2020, the entire West Virginia House, half of the West Virginia Senate, and the Governor will be up for re-election.

Based upon a [recent estimate](https://www.electiondataservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NR_Appor19wTablesMaps.pdf#page=3) of congressional seat changes following the 2020 census, West Virginia is estimated to lose one congressional seat.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.lwvwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of West Virginia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://wvoter-owned.org/"&gt;West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Jan 28 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Wisconsin</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WI</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting, and campaign to prevent supermajorities from forming.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Wisconsin redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin"&gt;The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.wisconsinvoices.org/"&gt;Wisconsin Voices&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;', '_issues_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the US. It was the subject of the 2018 case of &lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gill-v-whitford"&gt;Gill v. Whitford&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The Wisconsin Assembly currently lacks a supermajority. Split-party control over redistricting is possible in 2021 because of Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Further split is possible because state legislative elections will take place in 2020. The Republicans hold a five-member majority in the state Senate.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Currently, there are companion bills, &lt;a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/sb288"&gt;SB288&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab303"&gt;AB303&lt;/a&gt; to create an Iowa-model redistricting process in Wisconsin.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative Power&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Wisconsin\'s state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature via statute, and are subject to the Governor\'s veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;People\'s Maps Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;On January 27, 2020, Governor Tony Evers &lt;a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/01/27/file_attachments/1366435/EO066%20-The%20People%27s%20Maps%20Commission-ROTATED.pdf"&gt;signed an executive order&lt;/a&gt; to create a nonstatutory, citizen redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;The commission is meant to include members of each congressional district, members of Wisconsin\'s communities of interest, and redistricting experts. This commission shall conduct public hearings and create draft maps to submit to the Legislature.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;These maps must meet the following criteria: free from partisan advantage; avoid diluting minority votes; be compact and contiguous; avoid splitting wards and municipalities; retain population cores; maintain traditional communities of interest; and prevent voter disenfranchisement.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Under state law, however, this commission will be advisory to the Governor. Republican legislators have already &lt;a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-nonpartisan-redistricting-commission-to-offer-courts-an-alternative/article_3d28bd0d-c6b0-5347-8e37-b949bc088cfa.html"&gt;spoken against&lt;/a&gt; the executive order.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wisconsin law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Under Wisconsin state law, there is no public input requirement. In 2011, there was one public hearing held regarding the legislative districts. None were held about the congressional map. It is unclear whether legislative hearings will be held again in the next cycle.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Gov. Evers\' executive order commission is supposed to hold at least one public hearing in each of Wisconsin\'s eight congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', 'abbreviation': 'WI', 'actions': 'In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting, and campaign to prevent supermajorities from forming.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Wisconsin redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '[The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin](https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin)\r\n\r\n[Wisconsin Voices](https://www.wisconsinvoices.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': 'Legislature', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Democratic', 'issues': '- Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the US. It was the subject of the 2018 case of [Gill v. Whitford](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gill-v-whitford).\r\n\r\n- The Wisconsin Assembly currently lacks a supermajority. Split-party control over redistricting is possible in 2021 because of Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Further split is possible because state legislative elections will take place in 2020. The Republicans hold a five-member majority in the state Senate.\r\n\r\n- Currently, there are companion bills, [SB288](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/sb288)/[AB303](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab303) to create an Iowa-model redistricting process in Wisconsin.', 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2020, 2, 17, 20, 14, 1, 616508, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/congress/2018/WI', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Wisconsin', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative Power&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nWisconsin's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature via statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;People's Maps Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;\r\n\r\nOn January 27, 2020, Governor Tony Evers [signed an executive order](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/01/27/file_attachments/1366435/EO066%20-The%20People%27s%20Maps%20Commission-ROTATED.pdf) to create a nonstatutory, citizen redistricting commission.\r\n\r\n- The commission is meant to include members of each congressional district, members of Wisconsin's communities of interest, and redistricting experts. This commission shall conduct public hearings and create draft maps to submit to the Legislature.\r\n\r\n- These maps must meet the following criteria: free from partisan advantage; avoid diluting minority votes; be compact and contiguous; avoid splitting wards and municipalities; retain population cores; maintain traditional communities of interest; and prevent voter disenfranchisement.\r\n\r\n- Under state law, however, this commission will be advisory to the Governor. Republican legislators have already [spoken against](https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-nonpartisan-redistricting-commission-to-offer-courts-an-alternative/article_3d28bd0d-c6b0-5347-8e37-b949bc088cfa.html) the executive order.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wisconsin law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for congressional districts.\r\n\r\n&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;\r\n\r\n- Under Wisconsin state law, there is no public input requirement. In 2011, there was one public hearing held regarding the legislative districts. None were held about the congressional map. It is unclear whether legislative hearings will be held again in the next cycle.\r\n\r\n- Gov. Evers' executive order commission is supposed to hold at least one public hearing in each of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 4}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WI</guid><actions>In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting, and campaign to prevent supermajorities from forming.

In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Wisconsin redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support state legislative candidates who favor fair districting, and campaign to prevent supermajorities from forming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to push the Legislature towards drawing fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Wisconsin redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wi/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative Power&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

Wisconsin's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature via statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;People's Maps Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;

On January 27, 2020, Governor Tony Evers [signed an executive order](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/01/27/file_attachments/1366435/EO066%20-The%20People%27s%20Maps%20Commission-ROTATED.pdf) to create a nonstatutory, citizen redistricting commission.

- The commission is meant to include members of each congressional district, members of Wisconsin's communities of interest, and redistricting experts. This commission shall conduct public hearings and create draft maps to submit to the Legislature.

- These maps must meet the following criteria: free from partisan advantage; avoid diluting minority votes; be compact and contiguous; avoid splitting wards and municipalities; retain population cores; maintain traditional communities of interest; and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

- Under state law, however, this commission will be advisory to the Governor. Republican legislators have already [spoken against](https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-nonpartisan-redistricting-commission-to-offer-courts-an-alternative/article_3d28bd0d-c6b0-5347-8e37-b949bc088cfa.html) the executive order.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wisconsin law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for congressional districts.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;

- Under Wisconsin state law, there is no public input requirement. In 2011, there was one public hearing held regarding the legislative districts. None were held about the congressional map. It is unclear whether legislative hearings will be held again in the next cycle.

- Gov. Evers' executive order commission is supposed to hold at least one public hearing in each of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Legislative Power&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wisconsin's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the Legislature via statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;People's Maps Commission&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On January 27, 2020, Governor Tony Evers &lt;a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/01/27/file_attachments/1366435/EO066%20-The%20People%27s%20Maps%20Commission-ROTATED.pdf"&gt;signed an executive order&lt;/a&gt; to create a nonstatutory, citizen redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The commission is meant to include members of each congressional district, members of Wisconsin's communities of interest, and redistricting experts. This commission shall conduct public hearings and create draft maps to submit to the Legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These maps must meet the following criteria: free from partisan advantage; avoid diluting minority votes; be compact and contiguous; avoid splitting wards and municipalities; retain population cores; maintain traditional communities of interest; and prevent voter disenfranchisement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under state law, however, this commission will be advisory to the Governor. Republican legislators have already &lt;a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-nonpartisan-redistricting-commission-to-offer-courts-an-alternative/article_3d28bd0d-c6b0-5347-8e37-b949bc088cfa.html"&gt;spoken against&lt;/a&gt; the executive order.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Criteria&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wisconsin law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, and preserve political subdivisions. There are no state law requirements for congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Public Input&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under Wisconsin state law, there is no public input requirement. In 2011, there was one public hearing held regarding the legislative districts. None were held about the congressional map. It is unclear whether legislative hearings will be held again in the next cycle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gov. Evers' executive order commission is supposed to hold at least one public hearing in each of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the US. It was the subject of the 2018 case of [Gill v. Whitford](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gill-v-whitford).

- The Wisconsin Assembly currently lacks a supermajority. Split-party control over redistricting is possible in 2021 because of Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Further split is possible because state legislative elections will take place in 2020. The Republicans hold a five-member majority in the state Senate.

- Currently, there are companion bills, [SB288](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/sb288)/[AB303](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab303) to create an Iowa-model redistricting process in Wisconsin.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the US. It was the subject of the 2018 case of &lt;a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gill-v-whitford"&gt;Gill v. Whitford&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Wisconsin Assembly currently lacks a supermajority. Split-party control over redistricting is possible in 2021 because of Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Further split is possible because state legislative elections will take place in 2020. The Republicans hold a five-member majority in the state Senate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Currently, there are companion bills, &lt;a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/sb288"&gt;SB288&lt;/a&gt;/&lt;a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab303"&gt;AB303&lt;/a&gt; to create an Iowa-model redistricting process in Wisconsin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the US. It was the subject of the 2018 case of [Gill v. Whitford](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/gill-v-whitford).

- The Wisconsin Assembly currently lacks a supermajority. Split-party control over redistricting is possible in 2021 because of Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Further split is possible because state legislative elections will take place in 2020. The Republicans hold a five-member majority in the state Senate.

- Currently, there are companion bills, [SB288](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/sb288)/[AB303](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab303) to create an Iowa-model redistricting process in Wisconsin.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin"&gt;The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.wisconsinvoices.org/"&gt;Wisconsin Voices&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Democratic</governor_party><last_updated>Feb 17 2020</last_updated></item><item><title>Wyoming</title><link>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WY</link><description>{'_actions_rendered': '&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidate who will push for fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent citizens\' redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Obtain Wyoming redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wy/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave\'s Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_contacts_rendered': '&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://wyominglwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Wyoming&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;', '_issues_rendered': "&lt;ul&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature, meaning they could override a reformist governor's veto.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Wyoming has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;li&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Wyoming House and half of the Wyoming Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;/li&gt;\n&lt;/ul&gt;", '_pitfalls_rendered': '', '_process_rendered': "&lt;p&gt;Wyoming's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature as an ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Wyoming has only one at-large Congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wyoming law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;", 'abbreviation': 'WY', 'actions': 'In 2020, support legislative candidate who will push for fair districts.\r\n\r\n- Advocate for an independent citizens\' redistricting commission.\r\n\r\n- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!\r\n\r\nIn 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.\r\n\r\n- Obtain Wyoming redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wy/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.\r\n\r\n- Use software tools such as [Dave\'s Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.', 'actions_markup_type': 'markdown', 'comments': None, 'contacts': '- [League of Women Voters of Wyoming](https://wyominglwv.org/)', 'contacts_markup_type': 'markdown', 'draws_congressional_lines': '', 'draws_state_lines': 'Legislature', 'gov_control': 'Republican', 'issues': "- Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature, meaning they could override a reformist governor's veto.\r\n\r\n- Wyoming has a ballot initiative process.\r\n\r\n- In 2020, the entire Wyoming House and half of the Wyoming Senate will be up for re-election.", 'issues_markup_type': 'markdown', 'last_updated': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 31, 21, 23, 41, 857269, tzinfo=&lt;UTC&gt;), 'latest_test_url': 'http://gerrymander.princeton.edu/tests/#/states/2018/WY', 'legislative_control': 'Republican', 'map_drawing_links': '', 'name': 'Wyoming', 'op_link': '', 'pitfalls': '', 'pitfalls_markup_type': 'markdown', 'process': "Wyoming's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature as an ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Wyoming has only one at-large Congressional district.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wyoming law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.", 'process_markup_type': 'markdown', 'status': 0}</description><guid>http://127.0.0.1:8000/reforms2019/WY</guid><actions>In 2020, support legislative candidate who will push for fair districts.

- Advocate for an independent citizens' redistricting commission.

- Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!

In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.

- Obtain Wyoming redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wy/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.

- Use software tools such as [Dave's Redistricting App](https://davesredistricting.org) and [Districtr](https://districtr.org/) to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.</actions><actions_rendered>&lt;p&gt;In 2020, support legislative candidate who will push for fair districts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Advocate for an independent citizens' redistricting commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Write to your local news organization in support of the advisory commission. Make noise!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2021, use public input to persuade the Legislature to draw fair districts and to identify communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obtain Wyoming redistricting data from &lt;a href="https://openprecincts.org/wy/"&gt;OpenPrecincts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use software tools such as &lt;a href="https://davesredistricting.org"&gt;Dave's Redistricting App&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://districtr.org/"&gt;Districtr&lt;/a&gt; to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</actions_rendered><process>Wyoming's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature as an ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Wyoming has only one at-large Congressional district.

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wyoming law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.</process><process_rendered>&lt;p&gt;Wyoming's state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn by the Legislature as an ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Wyoming has only one at-large Congressional district.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Wyoming law requires that state legislative districts be compact, contiguous, preserve political subdivisions, and preserve communities of interest.&lt;/p&gt;</process_rendered><issues>- Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature, meaning they could override a reformist governor's veto.

- Wyoming has a ballot initiative process.

- In 2020, the entire Wyoming House and half of the Wyoming Senate will be up for re-election.</issues><issues_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature, meaning they could override a reformist governor's veto.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wyoming has a ballot initiative process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2020, the entire Wyoming House and half of the Wyoming Senate will be up for re-election.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</issues_rendered><reform></reform><reform_rendered></reform_rendered><history></history><history_rendered></history_rendered><contacts>- Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature, meaning they could override a reformist governor's veto.

- Wyoming has a ballot initiative process.

- In 2020, the entire Wyoming House and half of the Wyoming Senate will be up for re-election.</contacts><contacts_rendered>&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://wyominglwv.org/"&gt;League of Women Voters of Wyoming&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</contacts_rendered><congressional_boundaries></congressional_boundaries><state_boundaries>Drawn by legislature</state_boundaries><legislative_control>Republican</legislative_control><governor_party>Republican</governor_party><last_updated>Oct 31 2019</last_updated></item></channel></rss>