Redistricting is our opportunity to shape Idaho’s political future for the next ten years. Redistricting won’t just determine who runs for office and where; it will also determine how financial resources are allocated for schools, hospitals, roads and more.
Idahoans must insist that our Independent Redistricting Commission draws fair maps to ensure all Idahoans get the representation and resources they deserve.
When we draw the fair maps, our communities are represented by leaders who know us, who represent our needs, and fight for the resources that our children and families need in order to thrive.
Join CVI today to ensure fair and balanced representation for all Idahoans.
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Idaho’s redistricting process will happen quickly. We’ll send you the latest news, information, and opportunities for public input as they become available. It’s going to take all of us to ensure our districts remain fair and balanced.
The Commission for Reapportionment will be holding a series of public hearings across Idaho. This is YOUR opportunity to make your voice heard in the redistricting process. Click on each location for meeting location details and the complete agenda.
ISU Earl R. Pond Student Union Building, Wood River Room – 1065 Cesar Chavez Pocatello, Idaho 83209
Rexburg City Hall Council Chambers – 35 N 1st E, Rexburg, ID 83440
ISU Idaho Falls Campus, Center for Higher Education Building, Room 213 – 1770 Science Center Drive Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Location: by phone or online.
How to Provide Effective Testimony
We know it can be hard to think of what to say or how to effectively comment to the redistricting commission. We encourage you to think about your own community and how district lines could either divide your community in two or keep your community intact.
In the redistricting process, Idaho requires the consideration of communities of interest (COIs). Though
currently undefined under state law, a community of interest is typically a population that shares
cultural, historical, or economic interests. Communities do not necessarily share the same political
viewpoints or support for certain candidates or political parties. Add your community to contribute your
voice to the redistricting process.
Learn more about Community of Interests here.
As the redistricting process takes shape in Idaho, the Commission for Reapportionment will be releasing draft maps, as well as maps submitted by the public.
Redistricting Commission Draft Maps*
*These links are to draft maps. Changes may be made at any time by the Commission.
Additional Resources
Congressional Redistricting Guidelines
Redistricting is our once-in-a-decade process of accounting for state-level population changes to draw new congressional district maps for federal, state and local governing bodies (i.e. Congress, state legislatures, city councils, county commissions, school boards, etc.) representation.
In the 1960s, the Supreme Court decided that each legislative district within a state should have roughly the same number of people. Every ten years, the U.S. Census captures the current population changes and demographic information across the country. The data is then used by each state to conduct redistricting and redraw district maps. Using data from the 2020 U.S. Census, Idaho is currently in the process of redrawing our state’s legislative and congressional boundaries.
Idaho uses an Independent Redistricting Commission made up of 6 appointed members with split party control. The chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties in the state each appoint three respective members.
Rules include: limiting county splits, preserving communities of interest and traditional neighborhoods, keeping districts contiguous, avoiding strangely shaped districts. Maps cannot be drawn to protect incumbency or party power.
Redistricting has an incredible impact on states and the communities within them. It determines funding for public services like schools, roads, hospitals, and healthcare facilities.
We come together every decade to draw new district lines that give each of our votes equal weight, each of our voices equal stature, and each of our communities access to equal resources that determine funds for schools, hospitals, and other essential services that our government allocates.
By ensuring Idaho’s redistricting process remains fair, we’re ensuring that we choose who represents us – not the other way around.
Idaho’s Independent Redistricting Commission is currently finalizing the dates and location for public meetings across the state. These meetings will be a great opportunity to learn more about the process and make your voice heard through public comment and testimony.
In the meantime, you can sign up for our news alerts related to Idaho’s redistricting process here. We will be sure to keep you updated when public meeting dates and locations are set and how else to take action during Idaho’s redistricting process.
Gerrymandering occurs when those in charge of redistricting manipulate the boundaries drawn to favor one party. There are two primary methods of gerrymandering: packing and cracking. According to the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, “‘packing’ occurs when many supporters of the victim party are jammed into a small number of districts, giving them a few overwhelming wins. The remaining members of the victim party are then ‘cracked,’ spread across a large number of districts, so that they consistently win just under 50% of the vote.”
This is why public input is so important: we draw the maps, our communities don’t get carved up for political interests.
Conservation Voters for Idaho encourages public participation ahead of Idaho’s redistricting process August 12, 2021…
