Redistricting Reform Act of 2025
The Redistricting Reform Act of 2025 would fundamentally change how congressional districts are drawn by requiring states to use independent redistricting commissions rather than state legislatures. The bill mandates that states establish 15-member commissions composed of members from both major political parties and independents, selected through a structured process designed to ensure impartiality. These commissions would be required to follow specific ranked criteria when drawing districts, including compliance with the Constitution and Voting Rights Act, protection of communities of interest, and a prohibition on partisan gerrymandering. The legislation aims to reduce political manipulation of district boundaries and ensure fairer representation, though it includes exemptions for states like Iowa and others that already have qualifying independent redistricting systems in place.
Key Points
- 1Requires states to conduct congressional redistricting through independent 15-member commissions (5 from each major party, 5 independents) selected through a structured, transparent process
- 2Establishes ranked criteria for drawing districts: constitutional compliance first, Voting Rights Act compliance second, protection of communities of interest third, with explicit prohibition on favoring or disfavoring political parties
- 3Prohibits mid-decade redistricting except when required by courts to address constitutional or legal violations
- 4Creates a rebuttable presumption of partisan gerrymandering if a plan shows partisan advantage exceeding 7% or one district across multiple recent elections
- 5Exempts states with existing qualifying independent redistricting systems (specifically mentioning Iowa and states meeting seven specific criteria)