Colorado Democratic Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of drawing new district lines for legislative and congressional seats after each census. Colorado’s redistricting process is unique in that it is done by a commission, rather than the legislature. This article will give an overview of Colorado’s redistricting process and how it works.

The Colorado General Assembly is responsible for redistricting, but they delegate the responsibility to a commission. The commission is made up of 11 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and one independent. The independents are chosen by the majority and minority leaders in the Colorado Senate.

The commission meets every two years to discuss potential changes to district lines. They must consider population shifts, political geography, and communities of interest when drawing new districts. Any proposed changes must be approved by both the Democratic and Republican members of the commission before they can be submitted to the legislature.

If the legislature does not approve of the proposed changes, they can pass their own version of redistricting legislation. However, if the legislature fails to pass any redistricting legislation, the commission’s proposal will automatically become law.

Colorado has a bipartisan redistricting commission that is responsible for drawing district lines for the Colorado General Assembly. The commission is made up of seven members: four Democrats and three Republicans, who are appointed by the Speaker of the House, and minority leaders in the Colorado Senate.

How does redistricting work?

The commission is responsible for drawing district lines that comply with the Colorado Constitution and federal law. The commission must also take into account:

• Communities of interest
• Political competitiveness
• Voting history

Communities of interest: Colorado has many communities of interest that are made up of Colorado residents who share similar interests, such as shared culture and ethnicity. When drawing district lines the commission must plan to not divide communities of interest whenever possible.

Political competitiveness: Colorado doesn’t have a history of being politically competitive, but it does now, according to Colorado state law the commission can draw districts in a way that promotes political competition by making them more likely for both parties to win elections.

Voting history: The Colorado Constitution says that “the General Assembly shall be composed at all times during each decennial redistricting period of members elected from single-member districts which shall be compact and substantially equal in population relative to other such districts within said assembly or house.

In conclusion, Colorado’s redistricting process is pretty clear and straightforward. Colorado has a history of gerrymandering, but Colorado lawmakers hope to change this by creating an independent commission that has the power to redraw legislative districts in order for both parties to have a chance at winning elections.

For more information on Colorado democratic redistricting, check online.