Useful Resources for Redistricting

Key Reports

“Shining the Light: Redistricting Lessons Learned in 2011”
In 2011, League of Women Voters of the United States prepared a white paper reviewing the experience of the 2011 redistricting cycle and what state leagues did to promote redistricting reform.  
“The Shape of Representative Democracy”
In June 2005, the Campaign Legal Center and the Council for Excellence in Government convened a conference in Airlie, VA, at which participants developed a consensus on seven broad principles for improving the way most states conduct redistricting. This is the report the conference produced.

“Building a National Redistricting Reform Movement”
After that gathering, the League of Women Voters convened a second conference with those two organizations, held in 2006 in Salt Lake City, to discuss strategies for promoting redistricting reform nationwide. This is the report the conference produced.

“The Impact of Redistricting in YOUR Community: A Guide to Redistricting”
This report was produced by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the Asian American Justice Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund at the start of the 2011 redistricting cycle to help minority communities understand the impact of redistricting on their lives and issues of concern. 

Useful Websites About Redistricting and Redistricting Reform

All About Redistricting
This website, maintained by Professor Justin Levitt of Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles, is one of the best all-around sites for understanding and following redistricting reform. It is particularly helpful for tracking lawsuits related to redistricting, and serves as a portal to many other useful sites.

Redistricting Online
This website is a nonpartisan online resource and knowledge center for redistricting professionals, academics, attorneys, and the general public.

U.S. Department of Justice
This government website covers all federal laws relating to redistricting, including every aspect of the Voting Rights Act.

Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is an online encyclopedia about American politics and elections, created by a community of users and reviewed by professional editors. It is a useful source of information about how each of the 50 states handles redistricting.

Brennan Center
The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law is an excellent source of information about all aspects of redistricting. Interested persons can sign up to receive e-mail updates on the issue.

Prisoners of the Census
The Prison Policy Initiative created this website that provides information on redistricting issues that result from the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated persons.

Redrawing the Lines
This resource, created by the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., provides information on how redistricting can impact minority voters. (An outstanding source for understanding how redistricting can impact minority voters)|

The Election Law blog
This blog, created by Rick Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, is supported by Hasen and others. Interested persons can sign up to receive a daily digest of news stories related to election law, including redistricting.