Redistricting and Gerrymandering: Legal Framework and Recent Developments

This report examines the legal framework governing congressional and state legislative redistricting, including constitutional requirements for equal population, the Voting Rights Act's protections against racial gerrymandering, and Supreme Court decisions addressing both racial and partisan gerrymandering.

The report discusses the Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) decision holding that partisan gerrymandering claims are not justiciable in federal court, and subsequent developments in state courts applying state constitutional provisions to redistricting disputes. It analyzes the use of independent redistricting commissions as an alternative to legislative map-drawing.

Congressional considerations include proposals for federal redistricting standards, requirements for independent commissions, and the impact of redistricting on representation, electoral competition, and political polarization.