What is Redistricting?

Redistricting is the redrawing of legislative districts.

It is federally required following a census. Reapportionment of congressional representatives will cause a state to gain, lose, or keep the same number of representatives.

A district must exist for each representative, and each district must be drawn to comply with standards established by the Department of Justice.

  • The district must be contiguous
  • The district must not have holes
  • The district must not have a single geography assigned to multiple districts
  • All geographies must be assigned to a district
  • The population of each district must meet the maximum allowable deviation specified by the federal, state and/or local governing authority

The Gerry-mander (Massachusetts - Published by the Boston Centinel in 1812) Drawn this way to give Democratic - Republicans the Senate majority.


Counties, cities, villages, and townships also use redistricting processes to redraw district boundaries (sometimes referred to as precincts, territories, or wards) to align with their population distribution.


Why use the Esri Redistricting application?

  • Avoid common pitfalls that can result in judicial audit by following simple workflows and integrated tests that meet legislative requirements.
  • Connect legislators, professionals, and the public in the redistricting process.
  • Intuitive interface allows citizens to create and submit complete (and legitimate) plans for evaluation.
  • Provides transparency in the redistricting process.

Fun Fact : Since the 1980s the Department of Justice has used Esri software in the auditing process for redistricting proposals.


Esri Redistricting

Part of the Esri Geospatial Cloud, Esri Redistricting is a web-based software that enables governments, advocates, and citizens to complete and share regulation-compliant redistricting plans. Based on Esri’s proven ArcGIS software platform and dataset components, Esri Redistricting provides comprehensive tools for plan creation, management, visualization, editing, and collaboration.

Engage citizen participation via online maps. Use out-of-the-box redistricting and spatial analysis functions, sophisticated geocoding, and plan management tools.

No need to train your staff on a new system. Rely on the trusted and stable ArcGIS platform from Esri, the GIS market leader for more than 45 years.

Report

Run, print, and share predefined reports to summarize data and compare potential plans. Create custom reports using any available variable that matters to your organization and your constituents.

Create and edit a plan

Follow a step-by-step workflow to create, edit, view, and share your redistricting plans. Esri Redistricting is map-centric and easy to use. It will usher you through the process

Check integrity

Esri Redistricting will help you avoid common missteps such as assigning a geography to more than one territory, checking for compactness, and violating allowable population deviation.

Make thematic maps

Create thematic maps using rich, authoritative data provided by Esri, including US Census data. Print and share your maps to better communicate your plans and differentiate between alternatives.

Manage and share the plan

Manage all your plans in one place. Maintain individual plan integrity by locking them as "read only." Share within a secure and curated environment while collaborating with constituents. Gain external input without exposing your data.


Deployment Options

Esri offers a variety of deployment options, including software-as-a-service (SaaS), Esri Managed Cloud Services, and on-premise for those wanting to leverage private data.


Encourage Citizen Participation

Integrate access to the Esri Redistricting Application into a dedicated ArcGIS Hub site to provide information on elected officials, highlight specific demographic information, and provide resources for citizen feedback in a single, easy to use, web page. Provided below is an ArcGIS Hub site for the state of Maryland. To explore this site, simply click anywhere within the window.


Case Study

Utah State Legislature successfully implements Esri Redistricting for citizen involvement and draws districts based on constituent-made district maps.


Industry Blog


Get Started

The Gerry-mander (Massachusetts - Published by the Boston Centinel in 1812) Drawn this way to give Democratic - Republicans the Senate majority.