Description
In the second and third quarters of 2021, states and localities nationwide will be redrawing congressional, state legislative, and local electoral lines as required by law to achieve greater equality in population within each district based upon data from the 2020 United States Census. The redistricting process will establish political district boundaries for the next decade. Redistricting is a highly politicized, public process involving significant community input. At the same time, redistricting is governed by several provisions of constitutional and statutory law, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This panel will explain the basics of redistricting and the laws that govern it, including key issues that may arise in various jurisdictions, such as the proper population base for measuring population equality, legal obligations to create or maintain majority-minority districts, Census quality issues including those raised by privacy protection, and gerrymandering based on race or party affiliation.
Introductions by Patricia Lee Refo, ABA President and Eric H. Holder, Jr., US Attorney General.