How We Got Here

In Indiana and most other states, the state legislature is responsible for redistricting every 10 years, after U.S. census data is collected.

The timeline for redrawing district lines is very tight.  General redistricting timeline:

• Early February - census data must be delivered to the states.
• Late March - the legislature must draw the district maps. 
• If the March deadline is not met:
  • A five-member Redistricting Commission — consisting of the speaker, the president of the senate, the chairpersons of the committees responsible for redistricting in both houses and a gubernatorial appointee — provides oversight of the process and can adopt an interim congressional redistricting plan for Indiana. 
  • The Governor can call a special session of the legislature to resolve redistricting issues.
  • Today, the Senate Committee on Elections and the House Committee on Elections and Reapportionment have jurisdiction over redistricting, although Gov. Daniels has veto power over both congressional and legislative plans.

Legislators have a constitutional duty to draw the maps, and they should keep that duty. But for redistricting to work for Indiana voters, our lawmakers need new, better parameters for the upcoming round of redistricting in 2011.

The district maps in use today were drawn in 2001 and are based on 2000 census data. Since those maps were drawn, Indiana's competitive field of candidates has become more and more shallow, with candidates in two out of every five legislative races running without major party candidate opposition.

VIDEO: What is Redistricting?