What is meant by the term “redistricting”?

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the geographical boundaries of electoral districts in a particular state or country. Redistricting occurs when districts are changed to balance population numbers among them. This is important because it ensures that each district receives fair representation in government. In California, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is responsible for redrawing the boundaries of California’s congressional, state senate and assembly districts following each decennial census. This ensures that each district contains approximately the same number of citizens and elects representatives who are more representative of the people in the state. Redistricting also helps protect minorities by creating majority-minority districts, which are districts that contain a majority of the population who are members of a particular minority group. This helps prevent the majority from unfairly suppressing their rights or interests in elections or laws. Redistricting can also be used to benefit incumbents or political parties, as it can be used to redistrict in a way that favors one party or existing member of government. As such, it is important that redistricting processes are transparent and fair.

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