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Redistricting

Redistricting refers to the process of dividing the state into congressional, legislative, or other districts based on population, with the goal of equalizing population among districts.

Texas Redistricting

Visit the Texas Legislative Council's Texas Redistricting site for detailed information on reapportionment and redistricting in Texas, including history, maps, statistics, and legal information.

Redistricting legislation

The Legislative Reference Library has compiled a list of all redistricting bills introduced in the Texas Legislature from the 17th Legislature (1881) through the 81st Legislature (2009). You may also limit your search by type of legislation:

At times, the legislature has failed to pass redistricting legislation during the first regular session after the publication of the census. If the legislature does not adopt new legislative districts Article III, Section 28 of the Texas Constitution assigns the task to the Legislative Redistricting Board.

In some cases, the courts may create or modify plans or require the Legislature to modify a plan.

Other states' approaches to redistricting

In most states, the responsibility to redraw districts lies with the state legislature. See the comparative chart of state redistricting methods. The National Conference of State Legislatures offers additional information on how other states reapportion congressional districts.

Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.